3 lessons from SheerLuxe’s Reembot AI editor fiasco

If you’re wondering what exactly an “AI enhanced” editor means, you’re not alone. But while that definition is unclear, SheerLuxe followers’ reaction was unmistakably clear. “This is disappointing on so many levels,” one user said.

SheerLuxe isn’t alone in wanting to try its hand at innovative new AI tech. In fact, 64% of marketers believe AI will support their customer engagement at some point in the future. So, what can we learn from SheerLuxe’s experience?

AI might be the right for the task but is the person running it?

SheerLuxe previously announced it was pursuing an influencer approach, so perhaps exploring AI influencers seemed like a natural step.

While an experimental mindset should be applauded, the question should be asked as to whether it’s the right thing to do ethically. People are concerned about AI taking jobs, and in this case, readers felt as if a person’s job was outsourced to a robot: “There’s an abundance of real human women looking for jobs in fashion journalism, and yet this is how SheerLuxe opt to use their resources?!”.

When introducing AI personalities, brands should be mindful of what impact they’re making on society and the real benefits to their audience. Customer service chatbots, for example, act as a great gateway into brands, reducing friction in waiting times, yet most will defer to a human representative if a query is too complex.

Don’t imply virtual influencers are real

Reem has a desk, she eats a salad for lunch, she is gorgeous. She sets another AI-enhanced beauty standard for women to measure themselves against. What can be more unattainable than this? As one commenter lamented, “Come on. This AI “member of staff” was created exactly how you wanted her to look and you STILL couldn’t make her bigger than a size 8? Very, very telling. Plus-sized girlies are not - and have never been - welcome at SL!”

If virtual personalities have a place, it’s in a fantasy world, not the real one. This clearly sets them apart from human counterparts, and people intuitively understand the difference.

We see this play out in markets like China where, despite a generally greater openness to human-like tech, virtual personas are generally kept separate from the ‘real world.’ Liu Yexi, China’s most popular AI influencer, lives in a fictional alternative cyberpunk universe. She doesn’t share an office with real “colleagues” as Reem did.

Make sure AI personalities authentically reflect the people they represent

“Am I tripping, or did you create an AI woman of color as staff instead of… hiring one?” Reem’s name and face allude to an Arabic heritage, an under-represented audience in the media. Yet nothing about her profile suggested she acted as an advocate for this group. ReemBot’s existence was misaligned with social issues that are fundamental to SheerLuxe’s young, diverse and female audience. As a result, readers felt unheard.

AI, like any technology, should be a supplement, not a replacement to human experiences. The success of ABBA Voyage’s avatar-led show is down to the clear involvement of all band members. The concert provides an exciting vision of the potential for virtual talent. And without spoilers - those who have seen it will know that this gave their lookalikes an emotive hook that technology alone could never create.

Ultimately, experimental executions should avoid gimmicks and instead be founded on understanding the people they wish to engage. As we have seen with SheerLuxe, brands that fail to pair innovation with this empathy risk alienating audiences.