The People vs AI Beauty Bots
Written by Kate Washington - 05 June 2026
"I swear by retinol," claims AI-generated influencer Reem.
Reem is an AI-generated influencer launched by fashion and lifestyle publisher SheerLuxe back in 2024. The response from readers was swift and overwhelmingly negative, with critics raising concerns about everything from unrealistic beauty standards to the replacement of human creators by artificial intelligence. Despite this, SheerLuxe has since expanded its AI-generated characters by introducing three more ‘beauty bots’ to its platform.
Beneath the social media outrage lies a more significant question: who is currently regulating AI? For now, the answer is often the public.
The SheerLuxe controversy demonstrates how consumer backlash remains one of the most powerful checks on how companies deploy artificial intelligence. Businesses may have the technical ability to replace human creators with AI-generated personalities, but they must still contend with public opinion. If consumers dislike a particular use of AI companies risk reputational damage, loss of trust and, ultimately, lost revenue.
However, public opinion is an imperfect regulator. Consumer attitudes are not fixed; they evolve alongside technology. Practices that initially provoke outrage can become commonplace once audiences grow accustomed to them. Social media influencers themselves were once viewed with scepticism, yet they are now a mainstream part of modern marketing. The list goes on – iPhones, the internet, the telephone, the railway, the industrial revolution. Most new developments initially face backlash and eventually become accepted as part of contemporary society.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, the novelty - and perhaps the discomfort - surrounding its use is likely to diminish. If public resistance weakens over time, businesses may face fewer market-driven constraints on how they deploy AI systems.
This is where the demand for formal regulation enters the picture. Policymakers are increasingly concerned that relying on consumer backlash alone may not provide adequate protection against risks relating to misinformation, transparency, intellectual property, employment displacement and consumer harm. Instead, governments are exploring legal frameworks that establish clear rules regardless of whether the public notices or objects.
The commercial challenge is therefore not simply how businesses use AI today, but how they will be governed once public opinion is no longer an effective brake. As artificial intelligence becomes more familiar, the case for formal regulation may become stronger.
For law firms, that shift is likely to generate growing demand for advice on AI governance, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, data protection, employment advice, and risk management. AI is also rapidly becoming a cross-practice issue, creating opportunities for firms across corporate, commercial, disputes, employment and regulatory teams. The question is no longer whether AI will become part of everyday business, but what regulatory frameworks should be in place once society stops being surprised by it.