Models display clothing and products in print and online ads, appear in commercials, walk runway shows, represent brands at events and pose for photographers and artists. Their work is physical and in person, which keeps their ILO score low. The BLS still names AI as one of the reasons demand may be limited.
The short answer: low task exposure, but AI is named as a pressure on demand. The ILO's 2025 index rates fashion and other models as not exposed with a score of 0.25. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 2 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 700 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed models are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion and Other Models | Not exposed | 0.25 |
The ILO score measures how much of a model's own tasks generative AI could do. It does not measure whether a client chooses AI-made or reused images instead of hiring a model.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Models | Decline 2% | About 700 |
The BLS says less expensive digital and social media options let companies promote products directly to consumers, and that technology, including AI that allows companies to reuse images of products and models, may also limit demand. It adds that demand for digital advertising models may create some opportunities. All projected openings come from replacing workers who leave or retire.
What AI is taking on
- Reusing existing images of products and models across many ads, as the BLS describes.
- Producing product images and backgrounds without a new photo shoot.
- Editing and retouching photos faster.
What stays with models
- Live work: runway shows, events, trade shows and fittings.
- Collaboration: working with photographers, stylists, makeup artists and clients on set.
- Personal brand: a portfolio and a real presence that clients choose.
- Checking AI help: AI-written captions or bios can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Models have a stake in how their image is reused, so reading contracts on image rights matters more as reuse becomes easier. Digital advertising may open some work. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace photographers?, will AI replace fashion designers? and will AI replace actors?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for models at $48,470 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: no formal educational credential. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace models?
The BLS projects a 2 percent decline from 2025 to 2035 and says AI that lets companies reuse images of products and models may limit demand.
How exposed are models to AI?
The ILO rates fashion and other models as not exposed with a score of 0.25, because the tasks are physical and in person.
Are there still openings for models?
Yes. The BLS projects about 700 openings a year, all from replacing workers who leave or retire.
What else limits demand?
The BLS points to less expensive digital and social media options that let companies promote products directly to consumers.