A gray blue digital background featuring abstract technology lines, glowing nodes, and the letters AI centered in the middle to represent artificial intelligence in cosmetic advertising.

Worse than Airbrushing: The Rise of AI Beauty Ads

For years the beauty industry has engaged in a public conversation regarding image manipulation. In the early 2010s, regulatory bodies officially stepped in to address the boundaries of post-production editing. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority famously banned high-profile foundation and anti-aging campaigns featuring actresses Julia Roberts and Rachel Weisz, ruling that the digital alteration of …