Will AI replace apparel workers?

Just last week, I asked Bard, Google's artificial intelligence chatbot, to write me the codes for an Android app. All I had to do was just let it know what the app needed to do, what buttons it should have, etc.

Within a few seconds, not only did it write the codes, but also helped with where the codes were to be put.

With a very basic skill set in Android programming, I copied and pasted the codes into respective files, and hit the 'Run' button on Android Studio.

The emulator popped up, and Voilà! The app worked. It also worked just fine as I installed the APK file on my phone.

Did I just remove the need for an Android programmer?

Yes? No?

Ever since AI language models such as ChatGPT emerged, everyone started speculating, or should we say panicking, if AI-based technology was going to replace knowledge workers, artists, designers, programmers and various other professions.

Lately, the speculations spread wings to make people wonder if AI will also make RMG workers redundant.

From creating realistic photos just using instructions in human language to writing complex codes for software, AI can already perform a lot. And of course, it is just the beginning. It is easy to imagine that AI will go very far, but it's impossible to know where it will stop.

It is only reasonable to think that AI will leave its mark on the apparel industry as well.

But how deep?

Industry insiders say the impact will vary across the sector.

Soon, AI will help design, plan, predict future demand, optimise supply chain management etc. However, when it comes to sewing, it is hard to get everyone on board to agree that it will replace humans.

Other jobs such as designing, supply chain precision, projections etc, where AI can help right away, are not precisely what we do here in Bangladesh. I think it is less likely that AI will cause job cuts in what we have specialised in.

Mohammad Monower Hossain, head of sustainability at Team Group

"If you use AI in determining how to cut fabric most efficiently so the amount of jhut is minimal, it will be very helpful. But you still need the human who actually cuts the pieces," said Mohammad Monower Hossain, head of sustainability at Team Group.

"Other jobs such as designing, supply chain precision, projections etc, where AI can help right away, are not precisely what we do here in Bangladesh. I think it is less likely that AI will cause job cuts in what we have specialised in," Monower explained.

Bangladesh has specialised mainly in garment manufacturing in the global fashion industry, which involves cutting, sewing and attaching accessories.

Fabric, the soft material which a garment is made of, stretches and deforms all the time when worked with. Not a particularly easy thing for a robot to handle. The work demands human feel and touch, while robots are good with rigid materials like plastic and metal.

Still, some startups are trying hard to come up with working models, or Sewbots, that can handle the delicate job.

An automated sewing machine from the US company SoftWear Automation, known as Lowry, is one of the latest innovations.

SoftWear Automation was launched in 2012 in order to fully automate sewn products and reimagine supply chains. After 10+ years of R&D in collaboration with Georgia Tech, Darpa (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), and the Walmart Foundation along with three rounds of private venture capital,  SoftWear Automation's fully autonomous Sewbot worklines can now manufacture sewn goods locally.

German company Kuka is also manufacturing Sewbots that are capable of handling fabric and performing sewing.

The only catch is, if you see these robots doing basic things, for example, Lowry sewing the edges of bathmats and buttonholes or Kuka picking up pieces of fabric for sewing, they look like advanced school science projects and do not really stand a chance against a human counterpart with skills. You'll know if you've ever been in a garment factory. 

No wonder these innovations have failed to attract a new generation of apparel entrepreneurs onshore or to turn brands away from offshore sourcing locations such as Bangladesh, which are way cheaper and more reliable.

On the retail side of the industry, British retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) just partnered with o9 Solutions, a software platform provider whose AI-powered platform, Digital Brain, will replace and modernise M&S' existing systems across merchandise planning, sales stock and intake.

Meanwhile, US lingerie brand Victoria's Secret & Co is set to start a new journey with Google Cloud AI to enhance online shopping experiences and accelerate core business operations.

Besides, US retail giant Walmart unveiled plans to tap into artificial intelligence, generative AI, and augmented reality to strengthen shopping experiences.

All three announcements came in January this year, indicating that an 'AI rush' is set to make history.

The progress of AI-powered technology, albeit in its early phase, is unsettling to some.

"Robots can handle tough things only, which is why they are more suitable for jobs like electronics, car manufacturing etc. That has been the usual case. However, some US companies are now making clothes with the help of technology with an innovative approach," said Navidul Huq, managing director of Mohammadi Group and a director at Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA).

"They chemically treat the fabric to harden it, so the robot can handle the job. When the robot is done, the garment is then chemically treated again to make it soft. This technological advancement scares me the most. In 10 to 20 years, we have no idea where the technology will reach," Navid said.

The BGMEA director added that adapting such technology will not be feasible for Bangladesh, Because Bangladesh's comparative advantage rests in cheap labour. When the need for labour is gone, the country will lose its advantage.

What AI says about replacing garment workers

After talking to real people with natural intelligence, real-life experience and wisdom which is supposedly absent in the machines, we asked Bard, Google's artificial intelligence chatbot, what it thinks about AI replacing RMG workers.

What it said is in sync with what the former shared with us.

"AI-powered robots can be clumsy and damage delicate fabrics. These tasks will likely remain the domain of human workers," Bard said.

It said that AI can assist with creative design tasks, but the human touch is still essential for creativity and innovation. The verdict it gave is that, overall, AI is likely to augment the work of garment workers rather than replace them.

Bard added that the workers will need to develop new skills and adapt to changing technologies, and some potential new roles will be created such as AI trainers and operators, human-AI collaboration specialists and data analysts.