Brands post AI-generated influencer content on Instagram without disclosure

Brands are posting AI-generated images and videos on Instagram that show people appearing to use their products, an investigation found. The posts do not state that the individuals are not real people. Instagram accounts for the photo app Once showed videos of a woman who appears to be AI-generated describing her wedding photos taken with the app.

The account for the design tool Maket posted a video of a woman appearing to use the service to plan a home interior.

Current rules on disclosure There are no specific rules in the United States or the United Kingdom requiring brands to tell consumers when advertising content has been created using AI. In the European Union, the Artificial Intelligence Act will require labeling of some AI-generated content beginning in August, but those rules will not apply in the UK.

The Advertising Standards Authority said its rules do not explicitly prohibit brands from posting AI-generated promotional content without disclosure. The regulator stated that the content must still follow existing advertising rules against misleading claims.

Company responses Maket said AI-generated influencers were used to test marketing concepts at small scale and were not a core part of its strategy. Once did not respond to a request for comment. The Dubai-based fashion brand Ashle posted a photograph appearing to show a woman wearing its clothes.

The image showed the woman with an extra finger. After being contacted by the Guardian, the brand removed the photographs and said the images were created during an initial launch phase and that the designs shown are no longer part of its collection.