[Shot!] “The result was completely different from the photo.”

'Confusion' over promotion of 'AI Portfolio' in hair design industry
AI-generated image, not actual procedure… “Consumer deception”
“Why should I trust a shop with AI photos and entrust my hair with it?”
“Possibility of unfair labeling and advertising that misleads consumers.”

“It turned out that the hair model photo posted by the beauty salon designer for promotional purposes was an AI-generated image. The result was completely different from the photo.”

Kim (37), a self-employed person, said that he suffered unexpected damage after visiting a famous hair salon in Cheongdam-dong after seeing a portfolio photo of a hair designer posted on social media last month.

He expressed his anger, saying, "I went to a hair shop in Cheongdam-dong to get magic done after seeing a picture of the thread, but after the procedure, my hair was severely damaged and my scalp was also damaged, so I am taking medication."

Recently, in the hair design industry, the number of cases of creating and promoting portfolio images using artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing, causing confusion.

As complaints continue that the actual results of the treatment did not meet the results despite relying on the promotional image, criticism is being raised that this may be a marketing tactic to deceive consumers.

I thought it was a case of an actual procedure... AI hair model

On the 4th, when I searched for hair designer or hair salon accounts on Instagram, images of AI hair models came pouring in.

In many cases, there is almost no expression of fine hair or damage that is common during the procedure, and images of hair that appear excessively smooth or artificial are mentioned as common characteristics.

In the hair design industry, a portfolio is a very important promotional point.

Consumers save ‘before and after’ images in actual treatment photos or reviews posted on the designer’s social media (SNS) account, and present a specific portfolio when making a reservation, saying, “Please do it like this photo,” or “I came here after seeing this style.” It serves as a reference point for consumers and designers to match treatment possibilities and expectations.

The problem is that these portfolios are being created with AI rather than the results of actual procedures, creating a gap between the so-called ‘ideal and reality.’

AI-generated images are widely used in nail, makeup, and clothing shopping malls, but confusion is particularly severe in the hair sector.

Even with the same design, there is a large variation in results depending on individual conditions such as the designer's skill and hand technique, the thickness and damage of the customer's hair, and above all, once the treatment is performed, it has the characteristic of being irreversible and cannot be easily undone.

In particular, hair images created with AI often have ideal corrections for shine, volume, and curl uniformity, which has the limitation of not sufficiently reflecting results that may vary depending on the actual condition of the customer's hair.

In fact, consumer complaints continue to arise.

Mr. Choi (27), who lives in Gangseo-gu, said, "I saved the photo of the hippie perm that was posted on the designer's account last September and said, 'I came to see this style,' but after the treatment, the result was that there was no volume and the curls were completely different. I found out later that the photo itself was an AI image."

Mr. Seo (26), who lives in Mapo-gu, also said, "Last month, I visited a hair designer after seeing his portfolio photo posted on social media and received unsatisfactory results from the treatment." He added, "I asked 'Why can't the treatment be done like in the picture?' because my curls were jagged right after the treatment. All I heard was 'It's because the condition of the hair is different.'"

He added, "I thought the AI ​​model photos posted on Instagram were almost obvious, but I was shocked to learn that the photos I actually saw were AI images."

Even on social media, there are criticisms such as “Why can you trust a shop that hangs up AI photos to get your hair done when you didn’t cut it yourself?” (Twitter user ‘Mil**’).

“Saving time and cost” vs. “If it is actually misunderstood, it is deceptive advertising.”

However, the hair design industry is generally responding positively.

Mr. Kim, a designer at a beauty salon in Gangnam, said, “It takes an entire day to find a model, do the treatment, take pictures, and even do the retouching,” and added, “There are often no-show losses when the model does not show up on the day.”

He added, “It is a clear advantage to be able to quickly create promotional content with AI images,” adding, “It can be helpful for new designers or stores in the early stages of opening.”

In Naver Cafe and the self-employed and hair designer community, there are reviews such as “Considering the time and cost of recruiting models, filming, and retouching, custom-making with AI images is much more efficient” ('yuj***’), and “At first, I had a prejudice that it would be artificial, but my opinion completely changed after receiving the results” (user ‘yoo***’).

When we inquired with an AI hair model production company, they explained, "Purchasing an image costs 25,000 won per page, and if you request separate production, it costs 50,000 won. Since it is an AI-generated image, there is no separate portrait rights issue."

If efficiency is considered, there seems to be no need to find an image production company.

When I asked Google's image editing AI tool 'Nano Banana' to "create a photo of a hair model with an innocent face, black hair, and wavy perm style," a detailed image was created in just two minutes. It showed such perfection that it would be difficult for consumers to distinguish it when used together with actual portraits on SNS or in portfolios.

But behind the convenience, there is a potential for conflict.

Mr. Jeong, a designer at a beauty salon in Cheongdam-dong, pointed out, "Portfolio photos are actually proof that 'I have performed this type of procedure,' but if you upload an AI image as is, consumers have no choice but to accept it as the actual result. If it is not clear how much is a reference image and how much is an actual procedure, it can feel like deception."

Also, Mr. Park, a hair designer working near Hongdae, said, “A customer brought in an AI hair image created by another shop and asked me to do it the same way as this one,” adding, “I was embarrassed because it wasn’t the result of an actual human procedure.”

Experts explained that when model images generated by AI are used in advertising and promotions, the issue of consumer deception can become a key issue.

Daeryun, a lawyer at Lee Da-woo Law Firm, said, "If there is a possibility that a consumer may misunderstand an AI image as the result of an actual procedure or a real person and make a purchase decision, it is likely to be a deceptive advertisement under the 'Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.'" He added, "The criterion for judgment is the possibility of misperception and its impact on the purchase decision."

He also added, “If an AI image is reminiscent of a specific real person, issues of infringement on portrait rights or publicity rights may arise even if it is not a real photo.”

Jeon Se-jun, a representative attorney at Jeha Law Firm, also said, "The 'obligation to display AI products' in Article 31 of the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence, which is scheduled to go into effect on the 22nd, is a regulation that applies to artificial intelligence businesses such as Naver, Google, and Open AI, and does not directly apply to beauty and cosmetology industry workers who use generative AI." “It is highly likely that this constitutes unfair labeling and advertising that misleads consumers in accordance with Article 3,” he pointed out.

minjik@yna.co.kr

Minji Kang (minjik@yna.co.kr)

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