‘So much for caring about the environment’: REI faces backlash over AI-generated ad suspicions

Update, June 22, 4:15 p.m. ET: In a statement to Fast Company , REI blamed its AI -generated ad on being auto-enrolled by Meta into an AI personalization tool. “Meta auto-enrolled us in an AI personalization tool that produced an inaccurate and inappropriate alteration of a vendor-provided image in some of our ads,” read the statement from an REI spokesperson. “While a two-handled bike might be interesting, it is not something you will find in our assortment,” it continued. “We have taken steps to unenroll from the tool. This does not align with our values or how we manage our brand. Product accuracy and our vendor relationships matter. We apologize for the confusion this caused.” Original story, June 22, 2:45 p.m. ET: Given data centers’ massive water and energy usage , noise pollution , and contribution to rising temperatures , it’s clear that artificial intelligence and the great outdoors just don’t mix. That means brands catering to the tree huggers out there should steer clear of generative AI in their marketing —a lesson that outdoor gear retailer REI may have just learned the hard way. Social media users accused REI of using an AI-generated image for a recent advertisement on Instagram. The ad featured an image of a woman standing by a bicycle in a park —but something seemed off. The bike looked to have too many chains. The text written on it was illegible. Oh, and the bike saddle had an extra pair of handlebars growing out of it. REI using AI slop now. So much for caring about the environment by u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties in REI It all adds up to an image that looks suspiciously like AI slop, according to social media—one that REI had been promoting on Instagram for a full week before finally taking it down on Monday, June 22. That was more than enough time for commenters to tear the post to shreds. Social media turns on REI Before the Instagram ad’s deletion, its comment section was full of users finding creative ways to accuse REI of using AI. Backhanded compliments were most users’ weapon of choice. “This photography is amazing! So glad a real person put thought and effort into this picture,” one commenter wrote. “I can’t believe this picture looks so real!” joked another. Others poked fun at the pictured bike’s obvious abnormalities. “The extra handlebar coming out of the seat is pure genius!!” one user wrote. “Now I just have to AI myself in order to utilize the saddle-mounted drop bars,” wrote another. PERFECT! Thanks REI.” A third sarcastically noted that REI has always been “famous for their custom builds.” Fitness model Amity Rockwell also reportedly posted to her Instagram story , stating that she’s the woman in the ad—or rather, that the ad was generated based on her likeness. Rockwell explained that a few months ago, she did a photo shoot with bike brand Van Rysel that was to be used for REI advertising, and was confused when she was tagged in the viral image. “The thing is, this was an official shoot. That I got hired for,” Rockwell wrote. “So why are they Al deep frying the images? To alter a product they’re supposedly selling? And my face along with it? lol. I’m so lost.” The fact that REI had actual photography to work with and still may have turned to AI only fanned the flames of the discourse, especially on Reddit. On REI’s subreddit , a post with the title, “REI using AI slop now. So much for caring about the environment,” garnered nearly 800 upvotes and a lively comment section. One commenter claiming to be an REI employee wrote that the company “is absolutely obsessed with AI now.” “Our employee training has been getting more and more AI based for at least a year. we have specific AI trainings coming out, and they’re always ‘updating’ us on how they’re planning to use AI going forward,” they added. “This is straight silly. It’s an ad for a bike and the bike isn’t in the picture,” wrote another commenter. “I don’t understand it when I see AI used to make something that would’ve literally taken them 5 minutes to do,” wrote a third. “Just take a picture of a girl screwing with her helmet step next to the bike. was the AI really needed?” Others added that the ad reflects poorly on Van Rysel, too, though the extent of the bike brand’s involvement in the ad is unclear. “On top of the obvious environmental impacts, this is so insulting to the bike brand,” one commenter wrote. “GROSS!” Van Rysel has not responded to Fast Company ’s request for comment. REI’s environmentalism Though some brands’ customers may let AI slide, REI’s clearly don’t fall in that camp. “I love when ads align with your mission,” one Instagram commenter wrote, poking fun at the hypocrisy of a purportedly environmentalist brand engaging in alleged generative AI use. REI’s environmentalism is a core part of the brand’s identity. The company’s 2025 impact report states that REI is “on a journey to ensure the outdoors remains a place we can all enjoy for generations to come,” thanks to initiatives like textile recycling, lobbying to maintain public land, and a commitment to cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. But for many social media commenters, that work falls flat when paired with an apparently AI-generated ad. For many Americans, AI and environmentalism are polar opposites: Recent polling from Pew Research Center found that 39% of U.S. adults believe that data centers have a negative environmental impact, compared with just 4% who believe they have a positive environmental impact. “With how damaging AI is to the environment, it’s super sad to see REI using it,” another commenter wrote on Reddit. “I mean, is it really that cost prohibitive to take a picture of a real person on a bicycle? I would’ve done it for free.”