Artificial Intelligence as a Co Creative Agent in Digital Textile Printing

Abstract

The fashion and textile industry is undergoing a profound paradigm shift due to the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in digital surface design, visualization, and marketing. This research investigates a fully AI mediated fashion production model in which generative image models, prompt engineering, AI assisted fashion shoots, and automated social media content creation are integrated into a single online business workflow. The study focuses on the development and execution of AI generated digital textile prints that are applied to selected silhouettes and produced only after customer confirmation, thereby eliminating pre stock manufacturing. Grounded in post digital design theory, consumer perception theory, and mass customization philosophy, AI is framed not merely as a tool but as a co creative agent within contemporary fashion systems. A mixed methods methodology combines generative AI design experiments with a quantitative survey of 100 Pakistani customers. The results show that roughly one quarter of participants perceived the prints or photographs as AI generated, yet very few realized that garments were produced on demand. Statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between consumer perception of AI involvement and their intention to repurchase, indicating that AI mediated design did not negatively influence buying behaviour. The findings demonstrate that a made to order model driven by generative AI offers a scalable, sustainable, and economically efficient alternative for Pakistan’s fashion market.