Japan's virus-hit apparel makers try AI to find next trendy colors and designs

Apparel companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic have been tapping artificial intelligence technology to boost sagging sales, using it to predict the designs and colors that will come into trend. One provider of such technology is Tokyo-based startup Neural Pocket Inc., which runs a system that automatically collects big data related to clothing on various fashion websites, Instagram and other social networking services to analyze day-to-day changes in trends. The company predicts the next hit products by analyzing data on colors, designs and clothing lengths. Such an approach using AI technology is new in the apparel industry, which generally relies on the experience and instinct of designers to predict trends. But as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on retailers, demand is growing to efficiently predict the next hot items in fashion.