Fashion and beauty professionals are broadly optimistic about artificial intelligence — but their employers are not moving fast enough to keep pace with the skills transformation underway, according to the latest BoF Careers Knowledge Report.
The most AI-optimistic cohorts were in design and product development, where generative tools have already begun transforming how collections are conceptualized — from fabric simulation to automated pattern grading.
The survey of 2,926 professionals across 53 countries found that the majority of respondents believe AI will enhance their roles rather than replace them, citing efficiencies in design iteration, data analysis, and supply chain optimisation.
The report’s authors warn that companies that fail to invest in AI training risk losing their most ambitious talent to competitors who treat the technology not as a threat to be managed but as a creative tool to be mastered.
Yet fewer than a third reported that their current employer offers any structured AI training or upskilling programme, creating a gap between worker readiness and institutional support that threatens to widen into a competitive disadvantage.
