Luigi Mangione a Model for Shein? Scandal Over the Image of the World's Most Famous Assassin

Artificial intelligence is our friend until we use it to create funny pictures and Facebook posts. When it uses the face of a man accused of murder to advertise clothes… things get weird.

Artificial intelligence accompanies us every day and I don't think it surprises anyone anymore.

However, while it's nice when Chat GPT helps us write a post on Facebook , and another model prepares a realistic-looking photo of you and your family standing on Mount Everest , there is also an increasing talk of abuses such as deepfakes and spreading fake news .

There is also increasing talk about abuses such as deepfakes and the spread of fake news. Photo: Paweł Czerwiński / Unsplash

What happens when one of the biggest fast fashion platforms uses the image of a man accused of murder? It sounds like a story straight out of "Black Mirror." Okay, but what's the point?

The case came to light thanks to one of the Reddit forum users.

He posted a screenshot of Shein's official listing for a floral shirt for under $10. The garment featured an AI-generated model with the face of Luigi Mangione , who shot and killed Brian Thompson , CEO of UnitedHealthcare , last December.

The forum post quickly gained enormous popularity, and the topic was quickly picked up by TMZ .

Mangione , who has become a Generation Z "antihero," has already made appearances on sites like Shein and Temu . However, his image had previously been used on unofficial fan merchandise. This time, however—perhaps against his will—he was promoting a famous Chinese store .

Well, what does Shein say about this? The company quickly released a statement on the matter.

"The image was shared by a third-party seller and promptly removed upon identification. Shein applies strict criteria to all content on the platform. We are conducting a thorough review, further strengthening our control systems, and will take appropriate action against the seller, in accordance with our policies," it reads.

I can understand that the whole scandal was caused by an "accident at work", but this accident clearly shows that we still – despite the increasing participation of artificial intelligence in our lives – lack specific legal regulations regarding the development and application of AI.

Unfortunately, there will be more and more situations like the one with Luigi Mangione ...