When AI doesn’t know that your 'Gucci' isn’t Gucci

In the wild world of luxury goods in South Africa, "superfakes" are giving AI tools the slip like pros at a heist movie premiere! 

According to Michael Zahariev from Luxity – a squad using AI to sniff out fake luxe items – cutting-edge AI flagged 203 suspected fakes in one month. However, human detectives swooped in and nabbed another 91 counterfeits that the AI had missed.

Yep, about one in three superfakes pulled off the ultimate hide-and-seek trick past AI's watchful eyes.

Why AI's getting duped

"Superfakes" are next level. They're packing legit serial numbers, date codes, and even "aged" materials to play dress-up as vintage treasures. AI's like a rookie bouncer at an exclusive party – good at keeping obvious trouble out, but clueless against the sly ones.

But the encouraging news is that AI's getting smarter,

Tech's improving fast. AI has boosted image-based counterfeit spotting by 67%, cutting down on fakes slipping through.

Almost 90% of folks worry about authenticity when buying pre-loved luxe online. “When you’re spending serious money on a luxury purchase, proper verification is not optional,” Zahariev says. “Superfakes are getting better, and so must the tools and processes we use to fight them.

"AI is a powerful ally, but it’s not yet a silver bullet.”

He adds that these systems can also produce false positives, incorrectly flagging authentic vintage or rare pieces as counterfeit due to limited training data or misinterpreting natural wear patterns as manufacturing defects.

SAPOL recently busted counterfeits worth R156 million, and e-commerce giants are struggling to axe fake listings. Looks like humans + AI = the dream team to fight "superfakes" in SA's luxe market.