Source: Fortune
Summary
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed a requirement for landlords, brokers, and online listing platforms to disclose when rental listing photos or videos have been created or altered using AI or digital tools. The proposal is part of the city’s Rental Ripoff Report, a package of 23 tenant-protection initiatives. The use of AI-generated listing images has raised concerns about transparency in online housing marketplaces, with some platforms supporting the proposal and others already implementing measures to address the issue.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story. New York City’s proposal to regulate AI-altered rental listing images is a response to the growing use of generative AI in real estate. Zillow, named in the proposal, supports clear disclosure when AI is used to materially alter a listing image. The company’s content standards require listing photos to accurately represent a home. California has enacted a law requiring disclosure when real estate listing images have been materially altered using AI or other digital tools. The stakes are high for renters, particularly those relocating from out of town who may sign a lease sight unseen. The proposal reflects a broader push by lawmakers to ensure AI tools do not mislead consumers.
Justin Brookman, director of Technology Policy at Consumer Reports, said AI has made it “increasingly possible to do photorealistic images in ways that really materially misrepresent what you’re getting.” He notes that clearer disclosure requirements provide “basic guardrails” as AI-generated listing images become more common.
The announcement sounds familiar. The use of AI-generated listing images is not new, but the proposal highlights the need for greater transparency in online housing marketplaces. The strategy enters a familiar phase. As AI-generated listing images become more common, lawmakers are taking steps to ensure that consumers are not misled. The numbers tell one story, but the proposal tells another: the need for transparency and regulation in the use of AI in real estate.
Author: Evan Null
