Olivia Reingold, a staff writer at The Free Press, has faced criticism after acknowledging that she used artificial intelligence to edit a photograph shared during Michigan Democratic Party election night celebrations.
Reingold posted the photograph on X on November 3, highlighting a woman wearing Valentino shoes and carrying a Chanel handbag at an event celebrating Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed’s victory.
In the accompanying caption, she listed several luxury brands she claimed to have spotted at the gathering, including Valentino, Chanel, Moncler, Rolex and Yves Saint Laurent.
However, the photograph quickly attracted scrutiny, with hundreds of social media users questioning whether it had been generated or manipulated using AI.
Fellow Journalist Questions Photograph’s Authenticity
The controversy intensified when Julia Black, a journalist at Vanity Fair, publicly challenged Reingold over the image.
Black cited the results of AI image detection tools, claiming they indicated that the photograph had been generated using artificial intelligence.
She also criticised Reingold for sharing it without informing her followers that it had been altered.
The criticism prompted further discussions about the use of AI-generated and enhanced images in journalism, particularly when photographs are presented as evidence to support a reporter’s observations.
Reingold Defends Her Use of ChatGPT
Reingold addressed the controversy on Thursday, admitting that she had used ChatGPT to improve the photograph’s brightness and sharpness.
She maintained that the original photograph was genuine and that the woman featured in it was actually wearing the designer accessories identified in her post.
The journalist explained that the AI processing had not changed the central details she wanted to highlight, insisting that the woman was real and genuinely wearing the Valentino shoes and Chanel handbag.
She added that the observation she had made in her original post remained accurate despite the image processing.
Social Media Users Challenge Journalist’s Ethics
Reingold’s explanation did little to settle the controversy, as several users continued questioning her decision to use AI without initially disclosing it.
One critic argued that AI upscaling does not simply recover missing information from an original photograph but can generate details that were not present in the source image.
Another user questioned how a professional journalist could regard an AI-processed photograph as unchanged, arguing that the technology effectively reconstructs the image into a new version.
A third commentator said their journalism career would be at risk if they presented an AI-altered photograph without disclosing the modifications.
The Daily Mail said it had contacted Reingold for comment.
Reingold Was Covering El-Sayed’s Election Victory
Reingold joined The Free Press in 2022 and was reporting from the Michigan Democratic Party’s election night event, where Abdul El-Sayed celebrated his victory.
El-Sayed defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in a fiercely contested race, securing a place in the US Senate.
The 42-year-old Democrat is set to become the first Muslim senator in American history.
El-Sayed’s Victory Comes Amid Major Democratic Gains
El-Sayed’s victory was among the notable results of the midterm elections, which saw Democrats regain control of both chambers of Congress.
The results delivered a major setback to President Donald Trump, leaving Republicans facing a significantly weakened position during the final two years of his presidency.
Several traditionally Republican states also recorded Democratic victories, contributing to the party’s return to control of Congress.
During the campaign, Rogers and conservative supporters questioned El-Sayed’s political loyalties and alleged connections to organisations including the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed rejected the allegations, describing them as Islamophobic attacks intended to divert attention from policy issues.
