Technologies

Google Is Using AI to Show How Clothes Look on Real People Before You Buy

The new virtual try-on feature uses generative AI to outfit models with different body types in the same article of clothing.

Google is using artificial intelligence in its online shopping tool to show how clothing from online retailers will fit different body types, the company said Wednesday. It’s another move in Google’s push to incorporate generative AI — or AI that can create content based on training data when prompted — across its range of products and online services.

The new Google shopping feature, which launches today with brands like Anthropologie, Everlane, H&M and Loft, uses AI to generate an image of the article of clothing on a real model, with the goal being to show how clothing sizes look on actual people. It’s the latest effort by major Internet companies and retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, to upgrade the home shopping and virtual try-on experience.

While Google is using AI to generate imagery of the desired article of clothing, it uses real people to show how that clothing fits. Shyam Sunder, a group product manager at Google responsible for the virtual try-on feature, said at a press briefing that the company hired 80 models (40 women and 40 men) to create this shopping option.

Sunder said Google only needs one image of an article of clothing from a retailer’s website to create an AI-crafted representation of that item on a model. Google’s technology can show how the material would «drape, fold, cling, stretch and form wrinkles and shadows,» Lilian Rincon, Google’s senior director of consumer shopping product, wrote in a company blog post. Google will support women’s tops at launch with this feature, but says it plans to expand to other categories as well.

In a demonstration, multiple models with different body types were also shown for each size option. The company said it selected models with different skin tones and whose clothing sizes range from double extra small to quadruple extra large. In addition to browsing through sizes, you’ll also be able to find similar products in different prices, colors and patterns.

An example of Google's new shopping feature showing how a top from Everlane looks on different women. — An example of Google’s new shopping feature showing how a green top from Everlane looks on different women.

Google

Tech and retail giants in the past have attempted to make the process of trying on clothes easier. Last year, Walmart announced a feature that’s very similar to Google’s. Called Choose My Model, it lets users pick from among 50 models of different heights, sizes, body shapes and skin tones to see how clothing would look. Amazon also announced a virtual try-on feature for shoes last year.

But Google’s announcement reflects the broader shift among tech giants to embrace generative AI and infuse it into their most important products. Google’s I/O developers conference, which is where the company typically provides updates on new products and technologies, was all about AI. (In fact, the company mentioned the word AI more than 140 times during its keynote address.)

Microsoft has also made the technology a major focus in products like Bing and Windows. Amazon is also reportedly working on a new ChatGPT-style search for its sprawling store, according to Bloomberg.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, March 11

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 11.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought it was a bit tricky. 1-Down is one of those old-fashioned comic-book sounds that I had to remember how to spell correctly. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Study of the human mind, informally
Answer: PSYCH

6A clue: Common fixture in a gym bathroom
Answer: SCALE

7A clue: Kinda boring
Answer: HOHUM

8A clue: Like a commenter without a username, for short
Answer: ANON

9A clue: «All good between us?»
Answer: WEOK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Old-fashioned «Yeah, right!»
Answer: PSHAW

2D clue: Coffeehouse pastry
Answer: SCONE

3D clue: Google alternative
Answer: YAHOO

4D clue: Sound of a dull thump
Answer: CLUNK

5D clue: Line on the bottom of a pant leg
Answer: HEM

Technologies

OnePlus and Oppo to Raise Smartphone Prices as Memory Costs Climb

Oppo says rising costs for key phone components will trigger price adjustments on some devices starting March 16.

Chinese smartphone-makers OnePlus and Oppo plan to raise prices on some existing models starting next week, according to a 9to5Google report citing GizmoChina and a notice posted on Oppo’s China online store.

In its notice, Oppo said it would adjust pricing after evaluating rising costs for several key components used in its mobile phones. The changes are expected to take effect around March 16 and will affect some of the company’s more affordable smartphones, as well as some OnePlus models.

Flagship devices — like those in the Find and Reno series — are not expected to be affected for now. The reported adjustments currently appear to be limited to China.

The move highlights growing pressure across the smartphone supply chain as component costs climb. Analysts say prices for memory and storage chips used in phones have been rising in recent months as demand surges across the tech industry.

Much of the chip demand is coming from the rapid buildout of AI data centers, which rely on large amounts of high-performance memory.

That pressure isn’t limited to Oppo and OnePlus. Analysts say smartphone brands across the industry are facing rising component costs amid increased demand for memory chips.

As manufacturers shift production toward higher-margin memory used in AI servers, supply for consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptops can tighten.

If component costs continue to rise, manufacturers may face difficult choices later this year, including raising retail prices or adjusting device specifications to offset higher manufacturing costs.

OnePlus and Oppo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Harvard Business Review Study Finds ‘AI Brain Fry’ Is Leaving Workers Mentally Fatigued

Study participants reported increased mental fatigue while using AI tools, but less burnout overall.

Workers who excessively use AI agents and tools at work are at increased risk of mental fatigue, according to a recent Harvard Business Review study. In certain industries, more than 25% of hired professionals report increased mental strain due to their role in AI oversight — though these professionals also generally experienced less burnout than peers who aren’t using AI.

This phenomenon — which the researchers refer to as «AI brain fry» — is described as a «‘buzzing’ feeling or a mental fog» that caused study participants to develop headaches and difficulty focusing and making decisions. Individuals pointed to being overwhelmed by large amounts of information and to frequent task switching as the reasons for these feelings.

Studied individuals experienced more brain fry when they utilized AI agents to manage a workload beyond their own cognitive capacity. When participants used AI to replace mundane, repetitive tasks, managing the growing number of tools led to increased mental fatigue.

Crucially, the study found that fewer individuals who used these AI agents reported workplace burnout.

The researchers predict that this is because burnout testing assesses emotional and physical distress. In contrast, they report, acute mental fatigue «is caused by marshalling attention, working memory and executive control beyond the limited capacity of these systems.»

These are the processes that are taxed when study participants use multiple AI tools in their workflow, according to the researchers.

The Harvard study identifies several business costs incurred by workers suffering from AI brain fry. The foremost consequence is that these individuals may end up making lower-quality decisions. «Workers in [the] study who endorsed AI brain fry experience 33% more decision fatigue than those who did not,» the study reports. Workers who report AI brain fry were also more likely to self-report making both minor and major errors at their jobs.

Another recent Harvard Business Review study similarly found that employees who use AI tools «worked at a faster pace, took on a broader scope of tasks and extended work into more hours of the day,» but warned that «workload creep can in turn lead to cognitive fatigue, burnout and weakened decision-making.»