Truth behind bizarre Shein model bizarrely resembling Luigi Mangione
Online clothes retailer Shein has received heavy criticism for using an image that looks identical to Luigi Mangione on one of its listings, with many speculating that it was created using AI.
You don't need to know much about artificial intelligence to worry that generated images will soon dominate the internet, and a recent controversy involving Shein shows that perhaps we're already there.
It's not exactly surprising that an online retailer that adds around 10,000 new products every single day, as per the Independant, is resorting to faster and easier methods of advertising those listings, but the way people have discovered that fact is wilder than you might have expected.
As reported by the BBC, users across social media noticed on September 3 that one particular Shein listing featured a model that looked imperceptibly identical to Luigi Mangione, who is currently accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
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The product itself, which was a white short-sleeve shirt featuring small flower prints, was listed for just $10, but it's the absurd similarities that have caught the attention of many.
How has Shein responded?
While this could simply be Mangione's doppelgänger, possessing the exact same curly black hair and bushy eyebrows, Shein's actions after it was drawn to their attention appear to suggest otherwise.
Speaking to the BBC, a spokesperson for Shein revealed: "The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery. We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform.
"We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies," they explained.
This appears to not be the first time that Mangione's face has cropped up on Shein's catalogue either, as a post from five months ago by @thichomo over five months ago shows the alleged assassin sporting a blue and white striped v-neck top.
Was the image generated by AI?
There's no concrete way to 'prove' that the Mangione-esque image was generated using artificial intelligence, but there are a number of telltale signs that appear to suggest that it was.
First and foremost, BBC Verify has used Amazon Rekognition – a facial recognition tool – to show a 99.9% similarity with a real picture of Luigi Mangione in court, which was likely used as a reference or even transplant image for the model photo.
Additionally, AI expert Henry Ajder has highlighted the numerous features that point towards its AI origins.
"The image is low resolution, but there are a few signs that it might be AI-generated or manipulated," explains Ajder. "This includes the lighting and texturing of the image, particularly from the skin, as well as the appearance of a blob-like artifact above the right forearm.
"The right hand also doesn't appear to show typical segmentation of the fingers."
Regardless of whether it was created using AI or photo editing techniques, it's clear that this isn't a real model and was formed using images of Mangione that have people worried about the future (and perhaps present) of images on the internet.