Daniel Wolfram
AI photos fooled fashion fans online as the embattled tech mogul is in the midst of being fired as CEO of one of the most influential tech companies.
Fashion enthusiasts on social media found a strange ally in the tech industry. According to Vanity Fair, a wild crossover occurred this week when fashion content creators reacted to images of embattled Nvidia boss Jensen Huang wearing a studded Saint Laurent leather jacket.
The timing of these photos of Huang wearing a chic and expensive Saint Laurent leather jacket raised eyebrows. Just days earlier, Nvidia opened an investigation into Huang over an affair with a woman US intelligence agencies suspect is a Chinese spy, though China denies the claim.
Since then, The New York Times and we here at Dagens have reported that Huang has also had another affair with an American woman working directly beneath him at Nvidia.
Online commenters quickly mocked the tech chief’s supposed designer makeover. One user joked that Huang might be the “first person in history to have negative aura wearing archive Hedi.”
Spotting the fake leather jacket
There was just one problem with Huang’s attempt at creating a viral fashion moment. It never actually happened. It was fake.
Vanity Fair checked the pictures using SynthID, an AI detection tool. What the scan revealed was that someone had created or edited the viral images using OpenAI software, making them completely fake.
In reality, the original photos came from Huang’s business trip to South Korea back in June, where he wore a Dior jacket instead.
Scandals on multiple fronts
While the Saint Laurent outfit was fake, Huang’s workplace scandals are very real. On Sunday, he emailed Nvidia staff to apologize for hurting his wife and children, as well as his coworkers and shareholders.
“My responsibility is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have fallen short of that responsibility,” Huang wrote in the email sent out to staffers.
He promised to cooperate with the board’s inquiry. “I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America’s national security,” he added.
Huang is a leather jacket connoisseur
People fell for the hoax because Huang rarely steps out without a black leather jacket on.
In July, Sotheby’s auctioned off one of his pre-worn Tom Ford jackets. Experts estimated a top price of $60,000, yet one eager bidder ended up paying a staggering $960,000.
Even so, it seems as though catching Huang in extramarital affairs with employees and Chinese spies is easier than actually spotting him trying to trick fashionistas with fake jackets. What a world we live in.
