AI’s Assistance Transforms Shein: Fast Fashion’s Most Notorious Environmental Villain
“AI Has Helped Shein Become Fast Fashion’s Biggest Polluter”
“Shein, once a tiny women’s apparel startup in North China, is now the biggest polluter in a sector that spews out tons of CO2 every second.”
Astonishing, isn’t it? Fast fashion, the glittering diamond in the retail crown, dishing out affordable yet stylish clothing like confetti at a wedding, is also the dirty coal mine belching out clouds of pollution. Way to go, Shein, for nudging its way to the top by becoming the single largest polluter of the bunch. Now that’s an accolade worth putting on a mantlepiece.
But let’s pause our standing ovation for this flagrant disregard for the environment for just a second. Why does a company like Shein, that started off so small and unassuming in North China, end up being a large contributor to environmental pollution, emitting CO2 every ticking second?
Well, have you made the connection with our dear friend AI yet? No, not A.I. the artificial intelligence that Hollywood makes us believe will one day overthrow humanity. We’re talking about the artificial intelligence that’s being harnessed to enhance supply chains, improve customer experiences, and oh—skew the environmental balance while it’s at it.
Shein seems to be somewhat of a poster child for utilizing AI in fast fashion. They have brought AI into their fashion design process, which has massively crunched the timelines involved. It is believed that AI helps Shein to analyze fashion trends and customer demand, thus significantly reducing the ‘guesswork’ involved in creating a new collection. Sounds smart, huh?
Except it’s not. Tight timelines mean production has to happen at warp speed. And get this, it’s all about bulk delivery, because apparently, there’s someone out there buying enough cheap, polyester turtlenecks to fill a football stadium. This rapid, mass production cycle is steadfast in its contribution to carbon emissions, making Shein a winning contender in the race towards environmental disaster.
To truly wrap your head around the scale of the issue, let’s whip out the calculator. A study performed by the World Resources Institute indicated that for every five items sold on Shein’s platform, three will be disposed of within a year. Doing the math, the numbers are making Mother Nature cringe.
One solution might be for Shein to throttle back on the AI and its resultant explosive production rates, maybe slow down and plan their designs, use more sustainable materials… Crazy thought, right? But hey, as long as we’re all okay with wearing a climate disaster, by all means, keep on clicking ‘add to cart’.
It’s a sad irony that the efficiency and coolness of AI in fast fashion have become accomplices in blasting out pollutants that are slowly but surely, choking the only home we have. And it’s worth remembering that the next time we marvel at the sheer speed and convenience of online shopping.
As we all know, in any race, there are winners and losers. And guess what? In this scenario, we’re all on the losing end. Well done, Shein. Well done, indeed.