"Why Does It Have 3 Legs?" Shoppers Go from Admiring to Horrified at "Fake Models" on Shopping Sites

Controversy Over AI-Generated Model Ads Ahead of Singles' Day
Return Rates and Complaints Far Higher Than for Real Models
China Mandates AI Labels... "Misuse May Be Illegal"

Consumer complaints are mounting as photos of AI-generated models become more common on Chinese online clothing stores.

Models with Three Legs and Fake Reviews... "You Can't Shop with Confidence"

AI models featured in product advertisements on Chinese shopping platforms such as Taobao. A closer look reveals telltale signs of AI. Pengpai News.

On October 29, Chinese news outlet Pengpai News reported that "AI-generated clothing ad images are once again causing controversy ahead of Singles' Day, China's biggest shopping festival, on November 11." For example, shopping sites have displayed models depicted with three legs or in poses that no person could physically strike. Most of these photos were not labeled as AI-generated. Some online users even asked, "Are they trying to sell things to AI?"

These complaints are making consumers hesitate to buy. One female consumer quoted by the Beijing Daily said, "I liked a particular shirt, but I hesitated to buy it because I couldn't tell what it actually looked like from the photo alone." Another consumer said, "The clothes I bought after seeing an AI-generated photo were made of thin polyester fabric that had no shape at all, and the left and right sides didn't match." One shopper also said, "I don't buy women's clothing when I can see signs of AI, and I block the store."

The problem is not limited to product photos. In May 2026, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that some shopping sites were posting convincing-looking, AI-generated "customer review photos" instead of photos taken by actual buyers. Even the reviews that consumers had relied on as a last resort when choosing products have become difficult to trust.

This is leading to returns. One photographer said, "Stores that use AI models have much higher return rates and more customer complaints than stores that use real models." As a result, some businesses insist on photographing real models, saying that only direct photography can properly show the fabric and fine details.

AI Models Are Cheap and Fast; Not Illegal, but Disclosure Is Mandatory

Cost and speed are behind shopping sites' shift to AI models. Another photographer said, "Creating ad images with AI costs less than one-quarter of what it costs to hire a real model and hold a photo shoot." A seller who runs a women's clothing store alone told a Chinese media outlet, "In the past, it was difficult to list even dozens of styles a month because of the time needed to hire models, shoot photos and retouch them. Since I started using AI, the speed at which I can list new products has changed dramatically."

Regulation by Chinese authorities is tightening. In a commentary published during Singles' Day last year, Chinese state news outlet Xinhua Net noted that "the Consumer Rights Protection Law and the E-Commerce Law regulate false advertising," adding that "misuse of AI models could lead to legal problems." China has required conspicuous labels on AI-generated content since September 1, 2025, when it implemented the Measures for Labeling Artificial Intelligence-Generated Synthetic Content. Over the past two years, Chinese social media services and e-commerce platforms have also successively introduced rules requiring advertisers to disclose when images they post are AI-generated.

However, using AI models is not illegal in itself. According to Pengpai News, a lawyer in Hangzhou, China, said that whether the use of AI models constitutes false advertising or consumer deception depends on the circumstances: "The law prohibits conduct that causes misunderstanding or confusion; it does not ban the technology itself. The criteria are whether the image matches the actual product being sold, and whether the seller distorts or conceals information."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.