Ashwini
Asokan
PEOPLE
Meet the woman behind the artificial
intelligence technology changing how
we shop, style and design our homes.By Noelle Faulkner
A
shwini Asokan is th
founderofMadStre
Francisco- and Chen
companyatthefore
recognition technolo
Vue.ai,hasalreadybeenadoptedb
industry, including such retail giants as Net a
Porter, Levi’s and Macy’s. The AI-based program
can recognise style, fabric, colour, patterns, shape
and size, and soon will be able to create a shopper’s
avatar right down to every curve. And the more you
browse, the more it learns. Vue.ai also has the ability
to remember your previous purchases, helping to
build on your already existing wardrobe — exactly
like a stylist. So unlike the now-ancient algorithms
of “someone else who bought this also bought this”,
the experience is humanly intuitive.
Now, Asokan has her eyes set on the interiors
space. “The most powerful thing about AI is the
way we’re slowly beginning to change the way we
interact with the world around us,” she says. “Image
recognition, in particular, lends itself to objects
that have a distinct visceral and visual effect on us.”
Technology has already changed how we see the
world and never has design been more accessible.
Consider the impact Pinterest, Instagram, social
media and resources like Google Arts & Culture
have had on our global knowledge and awareness,
as well as our collective appetite for discovering,
sharing and devouring imagery.
Even in mainstream culture, with the popularity
of television programs like Grand Designs and
The Block, it seems that almost anyone can develop
a traveller’s eye for contemporary design. “Suddenly,
everyone with homes ranging from designer
bungalows to the student living in a tiny dorm has
become aware of design, organisation, aesthetics and
more,” says Asokan. With Vue.ai, the entrepreneur
intends to make interior styling as accessible as
a Pinterest page, except the algorithm is completely
personalised for an individual’s tastes. “Our
machine-learning algorithms recognise different
types of furniture — they understand style, colour,
pattern, texture and more, and they curate thesepieces for you,” she explains.
“If you’re a home and lifestyle
brand, you can personalise the
experience for each and every
shopper looking for something
that defines them.” Beyond that,
the algorithms intuit every
shopper’s style from the pieces
they look at online, the trends
they tap into, their mood boards,
inspirational images and more.
“Imagine no two shoppers having
the same experience because there’s an AI interior designer curating an app
that fits your aesthetics and needs,” says Asokan. Add augmented reality
(AR) and virtual reality (VR), import your room’s dimensions and existing
pieces, and you may never need to set foot in a showroom again.T
he next step, says Asokan, is AI-generated bespoke furniture.
“We’re going to see the rise of the consumer as the creator
and it’s going to be very exciting,” she says. This doesn’t
necessarily mean the role of the designer is dead — but it
certainly changes accessibility. “There will always be people
who want their choices curated and handed over to them,” Asokan notes.
“Time is a resource that will never go out of fashion. But the presence of
different types of I/O control devices [programs or hardware that can
transfer data back and forth to a computer, like a mouse or an external
hard drive], AI and VR allow you to reimagine creation across mediums
we can’t even begin to envision today.”
There is an argument, particularly in creative industries, that warns
against AI, stating that it won’t be long until robots will be doing the work
of the designer and taking jobs. But Asokan counters that. She believes
that we should think of AI as an artistic tool, not a replacement for creative
thinking. “We’re here to create a new category that never existed before.
And we’ve barely started,” she says. “The possibilities are endless.” VL
vue.ai @vue.aiAshwini Asokan, CEO and founder
of tech company Mad Street Den.“We’re going
to see the rise of
the CONSUMER
as the CREATOR
and it’s going to
be very exciting”
76 vogueliving.com.au
VLife