Meta AI Auto-Alter Creates Defective Bike in REI Instagram Ad
Meta's generative AI tool altered a professional REI bike advertisement to show a bicycle with dual handlebars and garbled text, remaining visible for a week before being removed following consumer backlash. REI blamed automatic enrollment in Meta's AI tool, while Meta disputed the auto-enrollment claim and noted advertisers must review and approve generated content.
What happened
REI posted an Instagram advertisement for a Van Rysel EDR AF bike that had been altered by Meta's generative AI tools. The image showed a bicycle with dual handlebars—one at the front and one at the rear—multiple chains, and blurry gibberish text on the frame.
REI stated that Meta auto-enrolled the company in an AI personalization tool that produced the inaccurate alteration. Meta contested this, saying the feature is off by default and requires deliberate action to enable, though the company noted that once Advantage+ Creative is activated, some enhancements may be created by default.
Reported impact
The advertisement remained visible for approximately one week before REI removed it in response to widespread consumer backlash and ridicule on social media. Fitness model Amity Rockwell, whose professional photograph was the basis for the AI-altered image, expressed confusion about why the company would modify authentic professional photography.
The incident drew criticism for REI's use of generative AI, which requires significant electricity and water, contradicting the Seattle-based company's stated commitment to environmental stewardship. REI apologized and stated the alteration did not align with its values or brand management practices.
Index analysis
Meta's Advantage+ Creative tool generated a materially defective product image—a bicycle that cannot function as designed—and altered a real person's likeness without apparent authorization. The modification misrepresented the actual product REI sells.
Governance controls
Meta's terms of service for its generative AI advertising tools acknowledge that outputs can be 'inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, offensive, and/or inappropriate,' placing responsibility on advertisers to review and approve generated content. REI subsequently unenrolled from the tool and stated the incident does not align with company values.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.