Luigi Mangione’s likeness used in Shein ad, but is it AI-generated?
Luigi Mangione, who allegedly shot UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, is being used to promote one of fast fashion’s biggest brands. And fans are revelling in it.
Image by Cybernews
Luigi Mangione, who allegedly shot UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, is being used to promote one of fast fashion’s biggest brands. And fans are revelling in it.
“Luigi Mangione was even able to update his LinkedIn profile from prison, congrats on the Shein modeling gig,” said Anatoly Kvitnitsky, CEO and founder of the AI image detection platform, AI or Not via X.
Luigi Mangione was even able to update his LinkedIn profile from prison, congrats on the Shein modeling gig pic.twitter.com/dbg6kBCxoS
undefined Toly (@tolykvitnitsky) September 3, 2025
Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been used to promote clothing via the fast fashion company Shein.
The image has since been removed from Shein’s site after the company said that it was provided to them by a third-party vendor, the BBC reports.
Shein is also supposedly conducting an investigation into the situation to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again.
Was the Luigi Mangione ad generated using AI?
Like most things we see online these days, it’s possible that this image was generated using artificial intelligence.
Analysis conducted by the BBC via the facial recognition tool Amazon Rekognition found an almost exact similarity between the fake image and a real image of Mangione.
Therefore, it couldn’t determine whether this was generated using AI or was just photoshopped.
Cybernews analyzed the image using the aforementioned platform “AI or Not,” which returned the result that the image was likely generated using AI.
Henry Ajder, a generative AI expert, told the BBC that the image could be AI-generated due to the lighting and texture of Mangione’s skin, as well as the strange blob that appears on his forearm.
A telltale sign of whether an image of a person is AI-generated is the construction of fingers.
In the image of Mangione used in the Shein ad, it seems that he’s lacking fingers, and there’s a lack of separation in the fingers.
Users conflicted over Luigi Mangione Shein's ad
Many users took to X to discuss the use of Mangione’s likeness for Shein’s latest spring/summer collection.
“AI-generated Luigi Mangione modeling for Shein is possibly the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” said one user.
AI generated luigi mangione modeling for shein is possibly the worst thing i’ve ever seen
undefined i am sorry trevor story (@roidsux) September 3, 2025
One user said, “Welcome to the post-truth era,” where nothing we see can be believed.
Welcome to the “post truth era”
undefined Mika (@mikadontlouz) September 3, 2025
Shein’s website appears to use Luigi Mangione’s face to model their clothing
How does this make you feel? pic.twitter.com/zNtWrYCyKw
“No way Shein is using AI for Luigi Mangione out of all people,” proclaimed another X user, as many others struggled to believe this was even true.
no way shein is using ai for luigi mangione out of all people 😭😭😭
undefined doof 🔬 (@doofinc_) September 3, 2025
Under the pop culture media and news account, Pop Crave, its post on the matter received almost 2,000 comments, with many in support of Mangione.
Shein’s website appears to use Luigi Mangione’s face to model a spring/summer shirt. pic.twitter.com/UPXW8fEPPq
undefined Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 3, 2025
“He should sue, win the case, and bail himself out of jail,” said one seemingly unaware X user.
Another user said that the use of Mangione’s likeness is just another way to strip the “incarcerated individual” of his autonomy.
Others took a more jovial approach to the news by saying that Mangione “appears to be a twink here when he’s clearly a hunk…I sense AI.”
It seems that this dark fascination with the alleged criminal extends beyond the internet, but also into popular culture and fast fashion.