Generative AI and the ethics of cultural work: autonomy, precarity, and social sustainability in the fashion industry

Abstract

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) across creative industries raises urgent ethical questions about autonomy, authorship, and the social conditions under which cultural work is performed. While generative AI is frequently framed as a tool for creative augmentation and discourses of human-centered innovation, its integration into cultural production may also reshape labor relations in ways that intensify precarity and redistribute responsibility without corresponding protections. This article examines the ethical implications of generative AI for cultural work, focusing on autonomy, labor precarity, value production, and the broader social sustainability of cultural work in the fashion industry. Drawing on a systematic and interpretive reviews, the study analyzes how generative systems reconfigure creative tasks, shifting workers’ roles toward prompting, curation, validation, and oversight of algorithmic outputs. The findings reveal persistent tensions between human-centered AI discourses and productivity-driven implementation practices. Although generative AI may reduce certain repetitive activities, the literature indicates heightened cognitive demands, accelerated workflows, and increased dependency on platform-mediated infrastructures. The analysis argues that the ethical impact of generative AI on cultural work cannot be assessed solely through narratives of innovation or collaboration. Instead, it must be evaluated in relation to structural inequalities, labor governance, and the protection of creative autonomy. By foregrounding the ethical dimensions of generative AI adoption, this article contributes to ongoing debates about responsible AI and the future of dignified work in cultural industries.