AI Warning: Outrage as Shein's model looks like murder suspect Luigi Mangione

Fast-fashion giant Shein recently went viral online after an image of a man who strongly resembled Luigi Mangione, who is accused of a high-profile murder, appeared modelling a shirt on their website. 

The picture, showing a man in a white short-sleeved shirt with a floral print listed for under $10, went viral and was very quickly removed. 

But by the time they took the image down, it had already sparked massive debate, especially around the increasingly blurred lines between reality and artificial intelligence.

As soon as the image circulated, social media lit up with speculation: was this another case of AI gone wrong?

@PopCrave shared the image on X with the caption: “Shein’s website appears to use Luigi Mangione’s face to model a spring/summer shirt.” 

X users were outraged by the image, and many commented about the fact that it’s AI-generated and that AI has gone too far. 

One user responded: "I think we should ban ai forever for everybody."

"I will vote for the first person to enact strict AI laws I'm so serious. If you think this is as bad as it can get you are wrong," another responded.

It appears people were correct in their assumption.

BBC Verify put the image to the test using Amazon Rekognition, a facial recognition tool, and found that there was a shocking 99.9% similarity between the model's face and a real photo of Mangione from a court appearance. 

Generative AI expert Henry Ajder pointed out "distinct indicators of AI manipulation," like the lighting, skin texture, and a "strange artefact above the right forearm," adding that AI can now create such images much faster than traditional editing.

University of Maryland professor Jen Golbeck told ABC News that the Shein photo appears to be a hybrid, with Mangione's face photoshopped onto an AI-generated body. 

She highlighted tell-tale signs such as the model's hand, which looks "really weird," almost like a "claw hand" with an "undifferentiated blob of fingers", indicating partial AI generation.

However, she also noted that Mangione's face seemed to be an "exact match," likely lifted from a genuine photo.

Shein was very quick to address the issue. A company spokesperson stated that "The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery".

They emphasised its "stringent standards for all listings on our platform" and confirmed they are "conducting a thorough investigation." 

26-year-old Luigi Mangione is accused of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and stalking, and prosecutors are actually seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.

This whole drama is yet another reminder of how quickly digital content spreads and the increasingly impactful and often bizarre role AI plays in our visual world.

Making it increasingly difficult for people to trust what they see online.

IOL Lifestyle

Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.