Can AI really replace us?
It’s the question on everyone’s lips right now. The headlines can feel dramatic: analysts suggest that up to 30% of jobs in developed nations could be at risk of automation by 2030, and some CEOs warn that half of entry-level white-collar roles might disappear in the next five years (Reuters, News.com.au). HR departments are currently training AI ‘agents’, check ‘agentive AI’, in specialist roles which many think will replace jobs.
But let’s take a breath for a moment. AI currently impacts around 3% of jobs directly, but predictions suggest that number could rise to around 27% in the years to come (Axios).
So… what about the creative industries? What about personal styling and colour analysis, for example?
Well, I believe that as personal stylists, we need uniquely human qualities – and that if you’re looking to future-proof your career, we won’t be looking to bots to dress us. Well, not entirely! Here’s why!
Why Styling Is Human at Its Core
Yes, an app can analyse your skin tone – and get it correct. I’ve tried and some of them are incredibly accurate (not always though!). AI can suggest flattering colours and even generate outfit combinations in seconds. Those apps and AI tools exist already.
But let’s be honest, do you go to a personal stylist to look good, or do you go to feel amazing?
Style Therapy!
I’ve been in the personal styling industry for over 15 years now – and one thing I am sure of. Clients I style come to be for various reasons, but even if they don’t know it, they come to rediscover who they are and feel amazing, navigating life changes, things like: changes in body shape, loss of confidence, or maybe they’ve got an important even coming up, and they need confidence or feel vulnerable, think pubic speaking for example.
What my clients need in those moments isn’t just styling advice. They need empathy, reassurance, and someone to truly ‘see them’ and get who they are!
That’s why I often say, ‘Think of me as a style therapist.’ My job isn’t only to help someone dress well, but to help them reconnect with themselves. Maybe even fall in love with the version of them they see in the mirror today, not an outdated vision of a past self, that photo of them that they show me when they think they were at their peak.
Human being skills required that you wouldn’t want a bot to deliver:
- Truly seeing the client’s worth
- Challenging the client’s negative self-beliefs
- Reflect their potential, their beauty, their confidence
- Understanding how the client wants to feel, and why
I mean, let’s imagine this scenario – if I put you in a room with two personal stylists or colour analysts, and each styled you, you’d get two totally different looks, two different approaches. It’s an art and a science – but one thing it’s not is cookie-cutter!
That individuality is what makes styling so powerful. We start by choosing someone who aligns with us, who gets us, who understands who we are.
How I Use AI Myself
Now, let me confess something: I use AI too. In fact, I’ve written this blog myself (old-school style), but I’ve run it through ChatGPT to polish the language, refine the flow, and bring clarity to my thoughts. But the voice, the message and the beliefs? They’re mine.
And that’s the point: AI is a brilliant tool. It’s here to support us, not replace us.
Why Human Connection Will Only Grow in Value
As AI gets stronger, I firmly believe that our need for real human contact will only grow. Take social media, for example – It connects us with people around the globe in incredible ways, and yet it can also leave us feeling lonelier than ever. Why? Because nothing compares to sitting in a cafe with friends, putting down your phone for a while, and just connecting.
AI might analyse your wardrobe or colours, but it can’t sit with you, listen to your fears, and gently guide you toward rediscovering yourself in the way we can. That’s golden. That’s human. And that’s where we shine.
Research shows that the jobs most resilient in the age of AI are those requiring empathy, intuition, listening, and trust. In other words: exactly what we do every day (arXiv).
Final Thoughts
Here’s my firm belief, and the belief we hold at LCS: personal stylists and colour analysts aren’t going anywhere.
The women and men I style are not just looking to look good. They’re looking to feel good. My role, and yours, if you choose this path: to be a style or colour therapist, a confidant, an ally. To listen deeply. To help people imagine who they might become.
Yes, our way of working will evolve. Of course, we’ll embrace new technologies and new tools. But at the core, styling is about people. It’s about human connection, individuality, and self-expression. And those things will only become more critical in the years ahead.
So, if you’re wondering whether styling is a safe and future-proof career, my answer is simple: absolutely yes!
