I work for an AI software company – don’t return fake handbags, our artificial intelligence will know if it’s fake
AI technology has helped solve the trillion-dollar counterfeit handbag problem.
Top brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton have watched in horror in recent years as exact, near-perfect replicas of their most popular products have spilled onto the black market.
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The problem gets worse when people buy a real handbag or wallet, then replace it with a fake one, and then bring it back to the store.
But a tech company Entrupy has developed and refined a new, easy-to-use software that essentially captures leather fingerprints while also recognizing other questionable elements – for example stitching, label placement, colors – and can determine within 60 seconds whether the product is genuine or not fake
As the Forgers grow smarter and more efficient, Entrupy’s attempt to stop their attack is timely.
The software, which has been constantly refined since its launch in 2016, isn’t difficult to use – a camera attached to what appears to be a chunky battery pack that can zoom in at least 100x on the fabric and snaps onto the back of a cellphone.
The object in question is brought into view and then the magic happens.
Everything is analyzed and an authentication result is provided within a minute, with times depending on the brand tested.
However, the algorithm gets smarter over time.
In the past, people only relied on their own eyesight to tell if their $10,000 purse was real or not.
However, now the AI can take all the guesswork out of the equation.
jake Stewart, Entrupy’s director of business development, says the software is helping to solve the problem.
But actually stopping the counterfeiters at the source remains a major problem.
“Now there’s literally great manufacturing all over the world benefiting from it, from China to Europe, from the US to the Philippines and everything in between,” Stewart told The US Sun.
“They’re fast-paced, innovative, and definitely opportunistic.”
“I’ve been in business 35 years,” said retail expert Ward Kampf. “But I didn’t realize how big the problem was.”
Entrupy is also targeting the counterfeit sneaker market and the alarming trend of counterfeit pharmaceuticals from China.
“The list is endless,” added Stewart, who began his career in product development with Nike’s golf team. “The counterfeiters attack anything that has an aftermarket value. It is frightening.”
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