This week, I dig into a new law in New York that requires warning labels on advertisements with AI-generated “synthetic models.” Will anybody notice?
Media Mechanics
Athletifreak, a small athletic clothing company, pitches itself online as a brand for active people born with “a freakish passion for movement.”
But the models in its advertisements may not have any movement at all — or, for that matter, bodies. The company is among the first to face a consumer complaint under a new law in New York state that requires disclosure labels on AI-generated “synthetic models,” often called deepfakes.
Perhaps one hurdle to enforcement? AI-generated images have become virtually indistinguishable from those that feature real people. Two months after the new law took effect, I filed a public records request with the state attorney general’s office, to check in on enforcement. Although the rules were lauded as “a landmark first step” in AI transparency, the state has received just two complaints from consumers.
They include Athletifreak and Bloobloom, a British designer eyewear brand.
AI-generated advertisements could be particularly effective in fashion, an industry that’s long used highly manicured, Photoshopped glamour shots to promote unrealistic beauty standards. They’ve even made it to Vogue, though not without controversy. Social media users strongly criticized the magazine for publishing an ad by the clothing company Guess that featured two AI models.
Online communities are now devoted to spotting tell-tale clues like jumbled words and mangled fingers, but a body of research concludes humans are pretty bad at identifying fact from AI-generated fiction. One recent study found that people are able to identify AI-generated content just 51% of the time — or, as the researchers put it, about “as good as a coin toss.”
Give my latest deep dive a read and let me know what you think. Send me your thoughts, and news tips, to mkeierleber@san.com.
And don’t miss this opportunity to test your Media Miss bona fides. Scroll down to take this week’s quiz and see if you can guess which side of the right-left media divide passed on coverage about a specific headline. If you don’t see the quiz in your browser or email app, you can take it here.
— Mark
Miss Spotlights
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Left Media Miss
SimpleImages/Getty Images Violent crime in major cities fell in first half of 2026, survey shows
6% left coverage53% right coverage
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From Jan. 1 through June 30, violent crime dropped in major American cities, according to a survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. The survey found that homicides decreased by 17.2%, and robberies by 16.6%. Reports of rape went down by 6.2% and aggravated assaults declined by 5.7%. “There is no single or easy explanation for these historic lows,” the Council on Criminal Justice noted. “Researchers and practitioners have pointed to a range of possible influences, including changes in criminal justice operations and strategies, technological advances, and broad shifts in society and culture.”
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Right Media Miss
Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images Dick Cheney’s cardiologist says President Donald Trump ‘has not looked well’
62% left coverage12% right coverage
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Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who was former Vice President Dick Cheney’s cardiologist, questioned President Donald Trump’s health in an opinion article for The New York Times. Reiner, currently a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, acknowledged that the physician to the president, Dr. Sean Barbabella, said in a medical evaluation that Trump “remains in excellent health.” However, Reiner wrote that “despite reassurances from the White House to the contrary, at times over the past year, the president has not looked well.” In a statement to The Independent, a White House spokesperson criticized Reiner and defended Trump’s health record.
Unbalanced Headlines
What happened:
The Kennedy Center board voted to close the main building for renovations and to add “Restored and renovated by President Donald J. Trump” beneath its existing name.
🟦 LEFT HEADLINE:
‘Jesus Christ!’: Trump Has Found a Backdoor Way to Sneak His Name Back on the Kennedy Center—Despite the Judge’s Order — Reported by Atlanta Black Star on Aug. 14, 2026
🟥 RIGHT HEADLINE:
Kennedy Center to Restore Trump’s Name, Close 2 Years for Repairs; Marking Victory Over Obama-Appointed Judge — Reported by Breitbart on Aug.13, 2026
Competing narratives
Left-leaning media see the board’s decision as Trump trying to increase his control and sidestep a judge’s ruling.
Right-leaning media focus on the board’s approval, treating the issue as a possible legal dispute.
Essential Reads
- Massachusetts expands abortion access. Here’s the nuance missing from some coverage
- Inside the online video game that lures young people to a Russian drone factory
- Your phone isn’t really eavesdropping. But it still knows all about you
- Social media isn’t so social anymore. What will platforms do next to grab our attention?
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Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Massachusetts expands abortion access. Here’s the nuance missing from some coverage
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Inside the online video game that lures young people to a Russian drone factory
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Getty Images Your phone isn’t really eavesdropping. But it still knows all about you
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Raul Ortin/Getty Images Social media isn’t so social anymore. What will platforms do next to grab our attention?
Round out your reading
- Former Fetterman staffers create social media account to expose former boss.
- Why Gen Z finally wants Boomer hand-me-downs.
- Want a copy of Pete Hegseth’s driver’s license? It’s for sale on the dark web.
- Smart glasses helped a man see the world. The privacy panic took it away.
- Americans are keeping cars longer, so the auto industry is making it easier to pay for repairs.
