The Nigerian AI artist reimagining a stylish old age

Artworks generated by artificial intelligence (AI) have become a source of controversy, but Nigerian filmmaker and artist Malik Afegbua is making a case that it can challenge us to create a better real world - and a more stylish one for older people.

At first glance, his images look like they were snapped on the edge of a fashion runway, but these models are not actually real people.

Instead, the pictures are the result of Afegbua's imagination working in conjunction with AI software, showing older-looking models in beautiful clothes.

He knew he had created something special after he had posted them on social media. Especially after they caught the eye of the Oscar-winning costume designer behind the Black Panther films, Ruth Carter. "This is so dope!!" she wrote on Instagram.

The series of images, called Fashion Show For Seniors, has attracted thousands of similar comments.

With more than 100,000 likes for the pictures on social media, Afegbua's work has clearly made an impact in the real world. But questions linger about whether computer-generated work is a threat to human creativity. There are ethical issues as well.

The artist, though, takes a thoughtful and nuanced approach.

We are just about to get the Zoom interview started, with Afegbua sitting in his home office in Lagos, Nigeria - when his two-year-old son calls out for a bit of attention.

"He was born smart and everything he does is so techie. He already knows how to use mobile phones and iPads," he says proudly.

It is clear that he is ing down his love of technology and art to his son, but what made this business-school graduate pivot into pursuing a creative career?

"Someone gifted me a camera and that's where it took off."

He became a filmmaker and now produces commercials, documentary films and virtual reality exhibitions. He also embraced the emergence of AI as a newly leading force in art.

With his fashion show series, he saw an opportunity to challenge what he sees as the marginalisation of older people in society and wanted to challenge perceptions around ageing.

"I've never seen a fashion show for elderly people, but they exist - so why not":[]}