A widespread Instagram post is drawing attention to how artificial intelligence is being used in fashion advertising — and to the legal and ethical questions that can come with it.
The latest controversy centers on a model who said a fast-fashion retailer used her catalog photos to create new ads without her permission.
Fashion watchdog account Diet Prada (@diet_prada) shared a carousel alleging that New York City-based model Francheska Pujols said Rainbow Shops used her original photos to create AI-altered images.
Diet Prada's carousel places Pujols' original catalog shots alongside the altered images referenced in the May 22 complaint filed in the New York Supreme Court.
In its caption, Diet Prada said the changes went far beyond basic retouching.
"NYC-based model Francheska Pujols alleges the company hired her for a catalog shoot, then used those photos to generate entirely new images, placing her in different settings, changing her poses, and even adding other models, all without her consent," they wrote.
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Diet Prada included one example in which a basic shot of Pujols against a white backdrop was turned into an image of her appearing to straddle a barstool — an image she reportedly described as "crude" and damaging to her reputation.
Pujols alleged that her contract, which reportedly expired in March, allowed only limited edits, not the creation of entirely new images.
She also claimed she sent a cease-and-desist letter that was ignored while the ads continued to appear online and in stores.
The suit was later dropped; her lawyer said the parties are "seeking to resolve this matter privately."
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The case comes amid a broader debate over AI in fashion. Brands have already experimented with so-called "digital twins" and AI-generated campaign imagery, but critics say those tools can blur the line between editing and exploitation.
In New York, the Fashion Workers Act, which the advocacy nonprofit Model Alliance helped pass last June, includes protections for situations like this.
Commenters on Diet Prada's post were alarmed.
"This is theft," one person wrote.
Another said, "This is creepy as hell."
"Sue. And our government needs to really write strong laws federally to protect all against this," a third commenter wrote.
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