AI Steps Outside the Office and Onto the Runway

When people think about artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots, spreadsheets and self-driving cars often come to mind. But AI is also finding a place in some less expected settings: fashion studios, forests and even kitchens. This interesting topic came to us from Levi Strauss & Co. in their article, “Alexa, Which Levi’s® Jeans Fit Me Best?”

In fashion, designers are exploring AI as a creative and practical tool. At the Royal College of Art, researchers developed AiLoupe, which uses image recognition to identify fabrics and help designers find similar materials. The goal is to make sourcing easier and potentially reduce the waste and energy associated with shipping samples.

AI may also help address what happens when clothing reaches the end of its life. Researchers at North Carolina State University are developing tools to identify and sort textile materials, a step that could make recycling fabrics more effective.

Meanwhile, conservationists are putting AI to work as a wildlife listener. By analyzing recordings from forests and other habitats, machine learning can help researchers detect animal calls among enormous amounts of audio. The U.S. Forest Service has used this approach to support monitoring of the northern spotted owl, a species that can be difficult to find through traditional surveys.

And in the kitchen? Researchers are experimenting with AI that analyzes recipes and explores new food combinations, although human taste testers still have an important job to do.

These applications show that AI is becoming a tool for people working in creative and hands-on fields. Its value depends on how thoughtfully it is used. Designers still bring vision, conservationists provide ecological expertise and cooks know that a promising recipe on a screen doesn’t always taste good on a plate.

The possibilities may be unexpected, but the principle remains familiar: technology works best when human curiosity and judgment guide it.

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Melody K. Smith

Data Harmony is an award-winning semantic suite that leverages explainable AI.

Sponsored by Access Innovations, uniquely positioned to help you in your AI journey.