A model inadvertently stumbled across an ad campaign by a fashion brand that appeared to use an AI version of her likeness. She was never hired by the brand and got no money for their use of her AI image.

In a video, Melanie Kieback, a German photographer and model, was shocked to learn that a fashion brand had used AI to recreate her appearance for a campaign. To make matters worse, it was all done without her consent or involvement.

The model discovered an AI-generated ad featuring a woman who looked strikingly like her.

“I didn’t know I had an AI twin until today,” Kieback began in her video. “A friend of mine sent me an AI-generated ad today for fashion, and something about it felt very familiar.”

Showing clips from the ad, Kieback pointed out that she was in the ad, but also not really. Posting photos of her alongside the ad made it clear that the company had used her photos to create an AI version of her likeness for the campaign. While they had updated her hair, everything else from the photos was the same.

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The model detailed how similar her AI likeness really was to her actual appearance.

She explained that the photos the company had used were from 2023, when she had a mullet, so the company had completely changed her hairstyle to match Kieback’s hair now, which was more of a pixie cut. 

They had also slightly tweaked her facial features, including her eye color, eyebrows, and freckles. They even went as far as to add the little bump she has on her nose.

In the comments, people were outraged at what happened to Kieback. Many argued that using someone’s likeness without permission definitely crosses an ethical line. 

The use of AI in many areas of the entertainment industry has become a major concern over the last three years, especially when it means companies can use AI-generated images of people without their consent or payment.

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Actors and artists alike have been vocal about AI use in Hollywood.

In a 2024 open letter to the public, an estimated 11,500 creative professionals, including actor Julianne Moore, author James Patterson, and Radiohead musician Thom Yorke, called for prohibiting the use of human art to train artificial intelligence without permission. There are a lot of generative AI companies that are using creators’ work without their knowledge or permission for training.

“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted,” the one-line statement read. For the entertainment industry and people working within it, AI has been a pressing concern and continues to be. 

But to imagine that companies are simply allowed to use someone’s face as material for a campaign feels incredibly dystopian. Working creatives are even more vulnerable than ever before, and the possibility of being replaceable looms over their heads.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.