Why AI Can Enhance or Break Your Brand

Recently, the Korean cosmetics brand Innisfree posted a shade range test shot using an AI-generated model.
People immediately noticed something was off, and when someone finally questioned it, the brand confirmed the model wasn’t real.

This sparked a huge backlash, and honestly, it makes sense.
For colour cosmetics, accuracy isn’t optional. People need to see how a shade actually shows up on real skin. How it blends and how it sits on different undertones.

Why This Incident Broke Consumer Trust

The issue wasn’t just the use of AI.

The issue was using AI in a category where truth and accuracy are the foundation.

According to their statement, the shade shots was “recreated” from a real model test shot.
But because that wasn’t communicated up front, consumers felt misled.

This reveals a bigger problem in e-commerce:

Some brands aren’t testing their products properly on real people.
Others do test correctly, but mix in AI imagery without clarifying what’s real and what isn’t.

Both situations create the same reaction:

People don’t know what to trust.

In e-commerce, the image is the product.

If that image isn’t accurate, it isn’t creativity—it’s false advertising.

Why Accuracy Matters More Online

People buy based on visuals.
Small details like texture, undertone shifts, creasing, and real-skin behaviour make or break the buying decision.

Brands that value accuracy know this.
They obsess over product truth because the purchase decision happens in seconds.

AI pushes everything forward faster, but it also magnifies every gap in product knowledge and quality control.

If you don’t know exactly what you’re asking for, AI will serve you a disaster of a plate.

Where AI Helps (When Used Right)

AI is genuinely powerful for:

• bringing ideas to life quickly

• helping teams see concepts before production

• generating moodboards or test directions

• saving time on non-literal visuals

When AI supports the brand, rather than replacing reality—it becomes a useful tool instead of a liability.

Where AI Hurts (When Used Wrong)

AI becomes a problem when it tries to replace visuals that depend on truth:

• colour cosmetics
• skincare results
• food textures
• apparel fit
• material finishes

In these categories, accuracy is the entire value proposition.
AI without proper oversight doesn’t feel innovative.
It feels careless, unclear, and disconnected from reality.

The Real Opportunity for Brands

The solution isn’t to avoid AI.
It’s to use it with intention.
To speed up ideas, sharpen direction, and support the brand without replacing truth.

Brands that find this balance will move faster, communicate better, and earn more trust, not less.

Final Thoughts

AI isn’t the threat.
Poor decisions and unclear communication are.
When accuracy and strategy lead the process, AI becomes a powerful tool.
When they don’t, trust breaks instantly.

The brands that win will be the ones that treat AI as a tool—not a shortcut.