AI AS AMPLIFIER: ETHICAL GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN FASHION RETAIL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70301/SBS.MONO.2026.1.6Keywords:
artificial intelligence (AI) in retail, ethical AI, responsible AI, consumer trust, AI governance, sustainability in fashion.Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at a pace that renders traditional approaches unsustainable for brands and retailers. The critical question is no longer whether AI will reshape shopping, but how it amplifies organizational power and values, and why ethical considerations must guide its application. As technological capability accelerates more rapidly than human judgment, integrity emerges as a defining leadership competency. AI systems do not possess moral agency; they reflect the values and blind spots of those who design and deploy them. This underscores the urgent need to embed responsible AI principles, including safety, security, transparency, and accountability, into the core of business strategy rather than treating them as compliance afterthoughts. This chapter uses a qualitative single-case study and reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with executives and store managers to examine real-world applications of AI within a Fortune 500 fashion retail brand. Drawing on interviews across organizational levels, it captures both strategic intent and operational realities, analyzing immediate opportunities alongside longer-term transformations. A central concern is the potential erosion of human interaction in automated environments. The study explores how trust and credibility can be cultivated in AI-mediated experiences, ensuring brands retain an authentic, distinctively human presence. By foregrounding human experience as a differentiator, this chapter identifies four empirical themes in AI governance and offers practical insights on how the fashion industry can harness AI while preserving human connection and advancing sustainability.
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