Unrealistic Beauty Ideals: Artificial Intelligence and Consumers’ Self-Image Perceptions

Abstract

Digital transformation and the rapid enhancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies cause unprecedented changes in the marketing environment. As the technology evolved and AI tools were diversified, AI became more effective in facilitating consumers’ lives and was adopted quickly by large masses. While this technology offers numerous opportunities, it also poses a serious threat to consumers’ well-being by shaping society’s beauty ideals. People judge others according to their appearance, and beautiful-looking people have a competitive advantage. Thus, beauty is perceived as important and highly demanded by consumers due to its influential power. Although beauty perceptions of consumers were culture-dependent and constantly changed throughout history, they have become similar nowadays, with the increase in communication and the effects of globalization. The unrealistic and unattainable beauty ideals shaped and disseminated by AI may damage consumers’ self-image perceptions, fill them up with insecurities, and eventually result in serious health and consumption-related problems. Therefore, this chapter aims to explain AI’s role in shaping beauty ideals and AI’s adverse effects on consumers’ self-image perceptions and intends to contribute to the literature on the dark side of AI in consumers’ beauty and self-image perceptions context. This study is descriptive in nature and is guided by the self-theory and social comparison theory. The present study also discusses AI’s health-related and consumption-related effects and the mindful use of AI for consumer well-being and building an inclusive society.

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