Airbnb host tried to charge guest $1,200 for flooded toilet, guest claims they used AI to generate the evidence, ‘I did not even use toilet paper’
An Airbnb guest has accused their host of fabricating an image using AI to try to claim damages. The image in question showed a blocked toilet that appears to have spilled over and completely flooded the Airbnb, but the guest thought a few things were off about the pic, prompting them to investigate further.
While most Airbnb hosts are honest people, plenty of guests have come to the internet to share their experiences dealing with dishonest hosts. In this case, one guest came to Reddit to seek the opinion of others regarding an image that supposedly proved the property they stayed at had been damaged.
The individual, who is presumably based in Australia, shared the picture in the r/isthisAI subreddit. They also claimed that the host wanted to charge them $1,700 in Australian dollars (roughly $1,200 USD). However, they believed that the image might have been fake.
The damage in question was allegedly caused by a flooded toilet of which the host provided a photograph. However, the guest had some doubts.
“It feels inconsistent with AI qualities like the water dripping from the toilet but no splashes. the entire house should flood at this point. and the door handle is at eye level,” the guest wrote. “I did not even use toilet paper,” the guest added, claiming they couldn’t have caused the damages supposedly shown in the image.
They also added other details, claiming that the company charging them was one of the “biggest Airbnb companies of their state in Australia,” and that this was the second time they had tried to charge them.
The Airbnb host may have used AI to fake the image
Netizens on Reddit weighed in with their thoughts, with many claiming that the image was AI-generated. “100% ai, water doesn’t pool like that on the ground unless it’s been running for hours,” wrote one person. Another pointed out the seemingly minor details that seemed to suggest the picture was AI: “The toilet paper in the bowl wouldn’t be standing up like a sail – seemingly stiff and dry. It would be completely soaked and falling apart.”
While it’s difficult to conclusively say the image was AI-generated, the Airbnb guest later returned with an update claiming the case had been “deemed ineligible for the reimbursement they asked for.”
Another Reddit user said that the image contained “Google SynthID,” which adds an invisible watermark to AI-generated images according to deepmind.google.
Redditors asked the guest to “name and shame” the company to warn others, and they did, writing in a local subreddit, they told people to “Beware of The A Family or ARX on Airbnb!”
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