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The rise of 'housefishing' - when does using AI go from enhancing to misleading?

The rise of 'housefishing' - when does using AI go from enhancing to misleading?

Experts warn that using AI to enhance property images can go too far and mislead prospective buyers.

Have you ever been impressed by the pictures of a property on an estate agent's website, only to find the place looks completely different when you view it in person?

Then there's a chance that AI was used to enhance the images you saw.

From repainted walls to imaginary lawns, estate agents are increasingly using the technology to make homes seem more appealing, arguing it helps buyers visualise the potential of a place.

But experts warn it can go too far and mislead prospective buyers - a trend dubbed "housefishing".

Earlier this year Olivia Nicole, 29, was searching online for five-bedroom properties in south-west London when a house on Rightmove caught her eye.

But when she arrived to view it several days later she initially thought she had come to the wrong place.

"The rooms were much smaller than they were in the pictures and the decor was totally different," she tells the BBC. "Some structural features were also different."

For example, there was a raised section of the wall behind the sofa that didn't appear in the images. The windows were also noticeably smaller. Olivia was so surprised she took her own pictures of the property for comparison.

It later turned out the pictures she had seen on Rightmove, which also appeared on the Zoopla and Winkworth websites, were…

In brief

Have you ever been impressed by the pictures of a property on an estate agent's website, only to find the place looks completely different when you view it in person? Earlier this year Olivia Nicole, 29, was searching online for five-bedroom properties in south-west London when a house on Rightmove caught her eye. But when she arrived to view it several days later she initially thought she had come to the wrong place.

This is the opening of the story, shared with credit to BBC News — Business. The rest of the report — with every detail — continues on the publisher’s website.

Continue reading at BBC News — Business ↗

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