Outdoor retail giant REI Co-op has pulled an Instagram advertisement after massive consumer backlash, claiming Meta’s generative AI tools transformed a professional product photo into a bizarre image featuring a bicycle with handlebars at both ends.
TechSpot reports that an REI advertisement for the Van Rysel EDR AF bike, which appeared on Instagram, contained several obvious signs of AI manipulation that drew widespread ridicule from users before the company removed it earlier this week The image showed a bike with dual front and rear handlebars, multiple chains, and blurry lettering on the frame. The ad remained visible for approximately one week, during which time commenters expressed sharp criticism particularly given REI’s established reputation for outdoor authenticity and environmental consciousness.
The situation became more complicated when fitness model Amity Rockwell identified herself as the apparent basis for the AI-generated woman in the advertisement. Rockwell revealed that she had been hired several months earlier for an official photo shoot that featured the same Van Rysel bicycle. She subsequently shared the AI-altered image on her own social media, expressing confusion about why a company would modify professional photography when authentic images already existed.
“The thing is, this was an official shoot. That I got hired for,” Rockwell wrote. “So why are they AI deep frying the images? To alter a product they’re supposedly selling? And my face along with it? lol. I’m so lost.”
Van Rysel North America confirmed that the original photograph originated from its professional shoot with Rockwell but stated that any subsequent modifications were not performed by the bicycle manufacturer.
The advertisement gained additional attention after being posted to Reddit, where an individual claiming to be an REI employee commented that the retailer “is absolutely obsessed with AI now.” This observation reflects a broader corporate trend, as numerous companies have rapidly adopted artificial intelligence tools across their operations in recent years.
However, REI has explicitly stated that it was not responsible for the decision to apply AI alterations to the advertisement. A company spokesperson explained that “Meta auto-enrolled us in an AI personalization tool that produced an inaccurate and inappropriate alteration of a vendor-provided image in some of our ads.” The company added a lighthearted note that “While a two-handled bike might be interesting, it is not something you will find in our assortment.”
Meta’s own terms of service for its generative AI advertising tools acknowledge significant limitations, warning that outputs can be “inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, offensive, and/or inappropriate.” The terms place responsibility on advertisers to review and approve any AI-generated content before publication.
In response to the incident, REI has withdrawn from Meta’s generative AI advertising program. The company stated that the program does not align with its organizational values and offered an apology for the confusion caused by the distorted bicycle image.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of AI, free speech, and online censorship.
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