Is it unethical to use AI in my Airbnb photos to market my property to guests?

By Quentin Fottrell

 'No matter what I do, the beds still look a bit creased and worn, even grubby, in pictures' 

 "Some guests might expect the beds to look exactly like they do in the photos." (Photo subject is a model.) 

 Dear Quentin, 

 I've been hosting on Airbnb (ABNB) for a few years, and I've recently found myself in a bit of a gray area, morally speaking. I try to make my beds look neat and inviting for photos - smoothing sheets, fluffing pillows and arranging everything carefully - but no matter what I do, the beds still look a bit creased and worn, even grubby, in pictures. 

 Could trying to make my beds look pristine be considered a breach of Airbnb rules? Or even unethical? Some guests might expect the beds to look exactly like they do in the photos, and I don't want to trick anyone or break any agreements with Airbnb. At the same time, I have come to regard my tech tweaks as a relatively harmless nonhuman gesture. 

 I'd like to be a superhost - but I'm not one yet. But I'd like to be, as I would probably get more eyeballs. Am I overthinking it? Or is there a better way to strike the balance between presenting my home attractively and being completely transparent? 

 Wrinkle-free Host 

 Don't miss: My husband is giving me 75% of his trust - and allocating 25% to his sister. Is that fair? 

 You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at qfottrell@marketwatch.com. The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually. 

 What if your guest wants to lounge about in bed on a rainy day and wonders where all those cushions went? They could end up with more than a crick in their neck. 

 Dear Host, 

 Morals and ethics are second cousins, twice removed. 

 The former are subjective judgments we make about personal decisions that may affect one person - the guest, in this case - or the world at large (for example, knowingly selling a drug with harmful side effects without disclosing them, or polluting the local water system with toxic waste). Ethics, by contrast, relate more to standards, rules and guidelines, in addition to one's personal comfort level. In this case, I can't see how ironing out a few wrinkles and covering a rumpled duvet with a digital bedspread materially misrepresents your home. 

 My opinion is not the most important one, however. Airbnb's opinion matters more. The company can provide a professional photography team (for a fee).  Airbnb's ground rules for home hosts states, "We will ask hosts to remove content if AI or other digital technology has been used to edit flaws, hide damage, add amenities or attributes that are not part of a listing, or otherwise materially misrepresent the listing."  That's not so different from covering a duvet with a bedspread. I suggest you invest in a bedspread and cushions, and update your AI-generated photo. 

 What if your guest wants to lounge in bed on a rainy day and wonders where all those cushions went? They may end up with more than a crick in their neck. They could end up nursing a grudge that they paid $200 a night for a space that resembles a dingy roadside motel rather than a boutique experience. Ultimately, the onus is on you to ensure that the space is as comfortable and pleasing as possible, and that it matches the images in your listing. Bottom line: Airbnb won't accept photos that do not represent the reality of the space. 

 Related: 'This guy has no manners': My Airbnb guest requested I buy bacon and beer. The $30 bill remains unpaid. Do I insist? 

 Nondisclosure disagreement 

 Not disclosing digital manipulation of your photos has left you in a personal moral quandary. Therein lies your answer, perhaps. If the bed is comfortable, the size of the room is not misrepresented, the cleanliness is tip-top and your home's size and location are as advertised, having new bedspreads and cushions will only add to your listing's allure. A little AI likely won't hurt if you use it to smooth out the rough edges; after all, the company uses it in many areas of its own operations. 

 There has been at least one particularly egregious case of AI manipulation by an Airbnb host in the U.S. A guest booked an apartment in New York for two and a half months but left early because she felt unsafe in the neighborhood. The host took umbrage and digitally manipulated photos to show damage to the property, including a large crack in a coffee table, claiming the guest had caused more than $15,000 in damage. After The Guardian in London intervened, Airbnb refunded the woman over $5,000. Morally and ethically, altering these images was a poor decision by the host. 

 The giveaway: Two photos of the table showed noticeably different digital cracks. The guest told the newspaper, "These inconsistencies are simply not possible in genuine, unedited photographs of the same object. This should have immediately raised red flags and discredited the host's claims if the evidence had been reviewed with even basic scrutiny. But Airbnb not only failed to identify this obvious manipulation; they entirely ignored my explanations and clear evidence that the material was fabricated." 

 Get thee to a department store for some soft furnishings. 

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 -Quentin Fottrell 

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04-04-26 0909ET

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