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NSW crackdown on ‘AI-doctored’ real estate listings hits mural-covered wall

TL;DR

Apartment with strange view singled out in government’s fight against deceptive ads – but real estate agent says photo is no fake Get our new political email, free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales government’s crackdown on “AI-doctored” rental listings has hit a wall, after it made an example of a supposedly manipulated ad that turned out to be a genuine photograph of a $5,000 courtyard mural of Bondi beach. In a media release on Friday announcing protections against misleading rental ads, the state government provided a link to a property in Leichhardt, claiming it was an “AI-doctored rental listing in Sydney’s Inner West”.

Nauti's Take

Rules against manipulated property photos are a real advantage for renters who otherwise waste time and money on viewings. The catch shows up right away: even the regulator mistook a genuine mural for an AI fake, so judging by eye falls short.

Agents should document original photos and edits, and regulators need reliable verification methods.

Sources