TNRERA flags use of AI-generated images to misrepresent

The Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA) has identified a growing trend of real estate promoters and developers using AI-generated imagery to misrepresent the status of infrastructure in residential project applications. Chairperson K Phanindra Reddy reported that these fabricated visuals are being submitted through the authority's online portal to falsely portray amenities as completed.

What happened

During an awareness session with the CREDAI Tiruchy chapter, Chairperson K Phanindra Reddy revealed that approximately 5% to 10% of images uploaded in recent layout applications are AI-generated. These deceptive visuals are used to simulate the presence of essential infrastructure, including roads, streetlights, underground drainage systems, and playgrounds, which do not exist at the physical sites.

Reddy noted that while promoters previously relied on traditional photo editing to manipulate project appearances, the adoption of AI has significantly increased the sophistication of these fabrications, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine site conditions and synthetic imagery. The authority has already issued penalties to several applicants for these violations over the past month. To combat this, TNRERA has deployed field-level staff to conduct physical site verifications before granting project registrations. The authority has warned that both promoters and certified engineers involved in these misrepresentations face strict penalties, with engineers risking the loss of their professional licenses.