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The rise of 'housefishing' - when does using AI go from enhancing to misleading?

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The rise of 'housefishing' - when does using AI go from enhancing to misleading?

Have you ever been impressed by the pictures of a property on an estate agent's website, only to find the place looks completely different when you view it in person? From repainted walls to imaginary lawns, estate agents are increasingly using the technology to make homes seem more appealing, arguing it helps buyers visualise the potential of a place. Earlier this year Olivia Nicole, 29, was searching online for five-bedroom properties in south-west London when a house on Rightmove caught her eye.

"The rooms were much smaller than they were in the pictures and the decor was totally different," she tells the BBC. "Some structural features were also different." For example, there was a raised section of the wall behind the sofa that didn't appear in the images. The windows were also noticeably smaller.

Olivia was so surprised she took her own pictures of the property for comparison. It later turned out the pictures she had seen on Rightmove, which also appeared on the Zoopla and Winkworth websites, were enhanced with AI.