British fashion and lifestyle magazine SheerLuxe faced a backlash after introducing an AI-powered fashion and lifestyle editor named Reem.

An online bot, Reem's primary function was to curate content recommendations for the SheerLuxe audience across various topics like fashion, beauty, and travel, and as a virtual influencer howcasing fashion outfits and product suggestions.

Presented as a woman of colour with an Arabic name and appearance, Reem sparked criticism about representation and ethics, with some people arguing "she" was not representative of the magazine's readers. Some people also viewed the use of an AI-generated diverse hire as a superficial approach to addressing diversity issues in the fashion and media industries.

Critics also argued that using an AI editor could take away job opportunities from real journalists, especially women of colour who are already underrepresented in the industry. In addition, people took issue with the seemingly unrealistic beauty standards set by Reem, with some people describing her as "impossibly beautiful."

SheerLuxe issued an apology on Instagram, claiming that Reem was created to experiment with AI, not to replace human roles and that the bot had been developed in partnership with an AI imagery creator from the Middle East to reflect diversity.

The controversy sparked a broader debate about the ethical use of AI in media, the importance of genuine representation, and the balance between technological innovation and authentic human involvement in creative industries.