Google creates virtual fitting rooms powered by AI for online shopping

It's hard to envision a world before online shopping because it has merged seamlessly into our lives. Statistics show that 27% of people worldwide and 70% of Americans prefer to make their purchases online. The fashion sector tops out among all online purchasing categories, generating approximately $1,070 billion (it should come as no surprise that Bernard Arnault, one of the richest men alive, works in fashion).

With its latest AI innovation, virtual try-on (VTO), Google is now making a move into the fashion industry. The function allows you to see how various outfits will seem on actual models wearing clothing that ranges in size from XXS to 4XL. Different skin tones, body kinds, ethnicities, and hair types are represented by the models. Google built a novel diffusion-based AI algorithm to produce the virtual try-on functionality.

Diffusion is the method used by this new generative AI model. Diffusion is gradually introducing noise to an image to teach the model until it becomes unrecognizably noisy. In order to recreate the original image, the model then learns to eliminate the noise. The end product is a true-to-life representation of the wearer of the clothing. Google used countless distinct photos of clothing and people to train the model.

Google has announced a technology intended to improve online shopping search results in addition to virtual try-on. With suggestions from several online merchants, the guided refinements feature enables buyers in the United States to narrow down their selection of products based on price, color, style, and pattern.

The new shopping capabilities, which are currently available in the USA, were initially offered for a small number of businesses, mostly focusing on women's tops, including H&M, LOFT, Anthropologie, and Everlane. You can browse the websites of these companies, check for products marked with the "Try On" symbol in the search results, and choose a model to use in order to experience the functionality firsthand.

Later this year, Google wants to expand the virtual try-on for clothing function, adding options for men's tops, while also broadening the range of brands and improving the technology over time. For the time being, it's a fantastic method for online buyers to see what a particular product might look like on a real person, complete with all the drapes, folds, wrinkles, and shadows.