Fighting Fakes: AI Takes Aim at Counterfeit Goods, Starting with Lacoste
A French startup, Vrai AI, is wielding the power of artificial intelligence to tackle the global counterfeit market, estimated to be a staggering 2.5% of all global commerce. Their weapon of choice: an image recognition model capable of identifying fake designer products from a single photograph.
The company’s first client is the iconic fashion brand Lacoste, known for its instantly recognizable crocodile logo. "A counterfeit Lacoste product having obvious flaws like extra teeth or an overly long tail in its signature crocodile are obvious giveaways," notes David G. Stork, Vrai AI’s chief scientist and a Stanford University adjunct professor. But Vrai AI takes a more sophisticated approach.
Instead of relying on blatant discrepancies, the AI model analyzes subtle details that often elude the human eye. This could mean a slightly off shade of green on the crocodile, an imperceptibly rotated eye, or stitching that’s spaced just a tad too far apart.
"Vrai AI’s model can differentiate between natural manufacturing variations—since even machines don’t produce identical logos every time—and counterfeits," explains Stork, who has also used similar techniques to identify forgeries in artwork.
Vrai AI claims their technology boasts a remarkable 99.7% accuracy rate with Lacoste products. The fashion house plans to utilize this technology to combat return fraud, a growing problem where scammers purchase authentic items online, replace them with fakes, and return the counterfeits for a refund.
"With Vrai AI’s app, warehouse staff can photograph returned items to instantly verify their authenticity, helping Lacoste save money and protect its customers from counterfeit goods," the company stated.
But Vrai AI’s ambitions extend beyond the world of fashion. They also aim to tackle the life-threatening issue of counterfeit medication.
According to reports, the company intends to use their AI model to detect subtle visual discrepancies on pharmaceutical packaging, such as variations in font size or color. This could help address a global crisis, as counterfeit drugs are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.
To achieve this, Vrai AI would need a vast dataset of approximately 50,000 images of legitimate medication packaging. This could involve collaborating with a major pharmaceutical company or capturing their own images.
## Fighting Fakes: AI Takes Aim at Counterfeit Goods,Starting with Lacoste
**World-Today-News Exclusive Interview with David G. Stork, Chief Scientist of Vrai AI **
**World Today News:** Counterfeiting is a global epidemic, costing billions in lost revenue and damaging brand reputations. How is Vrai AI using AI to combat this problem?
**David G. Stork:** At Vrai AI, we believe in harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to fight this multi-billion dollar industry. Our image recognition model is trained on massive datasets of authentic and counterfeit products, allowing it to identify subtle discrepancies invisible to the naked eye.
**WTN:** You mentioned subtle discrepancies. Could you elaborate?
**DGS:** Many counterfeits attempt to mimic the original, resulting in near-perfect copies. A counterfeit Lacoste product might have an extra tooth or a slightly overly long tail in it’s crocodile logo, making it instantly obvious to a trained eye. However, many fakes are incredibly elegant. They might use slightly off-shade materials, have stitching patterns that are ever-so-slightly off, or utilize fonts that are almost identical but not quite right. These minute variations are what our AI model is trained to detect.
**WTN:** How does this technology work in practice?
**DGS:** It’s surprisingly simple. Imagine a consumer purchases a Lacoste shirt online. they can upload a picture of the shirt through a dedicated app or website. Our AI model analyzes the image in seconds, comparing it to our database of authentic Lacoste products. It then generates a report indicating whether the product is likely authentic or counterfeit, highlighting the specific features that raised the red flags.
**WTN:** You partnered with Lacoste as your first client.Why Lacoste specifically?
**DGS:** Lacoste is a globally recognized brand with a highly recognizable logo, making it a prime target for counterfeiters. They are committed to protecting their brand and consumers, making them an ideal partner for our technology. This collaboration allows us to demonstrate the efficacy of our AI solution in a real-world scenario, paving the way for wider adoption across various industries.
**WTN:** What impact do you see this technology having on the fight against counterfeiting?
**DGS:**
This technology has the potential to be a game-changer. Imagine a future where consumers can verify the authenticity of products with ease, before making a purchase. This not only protects consumers from buying fakes but also helps brands safeguard their reputation and intellectual property.We envision a future where AI plays a crucial role in eliminating counterfeit goods, fostering trust in the marketplace.
**WTN:** Thank you for your fascinating insights Dr. stork. We appreciate you shedding light on this innovative approach to tackling a critical global issue.
**DGS: **My pleasure.
**World Today News:** Stay tuned for further updates on vrai AI and their fight against counterfeiting. We’ll be following this story closely as it develops.
