In a world where counterfeit luxury goods are increasingly common, Entrupy’s AI technology has emerged, boasting 99.1% accuracy in authenticating products from brands like Louis Vuitton.
As WSJ reports, Entrupy, a technology service founded in 2012, is addressing the resale of luxury items with its AI-powered authentication tool. Designed specifically for resellers of luxury goods, Entrupy verifies the authenticity of designer handbags and sneakers from brands such as Balenciaga, Burberry, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.
Retailers use a specialized hardware device to take detailed photographs of the product with their smartphones. This device includes a microscopic lens that magnifies the phone camera’s capabilities, allowing for in-depth analysis of details like designer plaques and materials. These images are then compared against a vast database using an advanced AI algorithm. In mere minutes, Entrupy can deliver a verdict on the product’s authenticity, reportedly boasting a 99.1% accuracy rate.
Building trust in the resale market
Vidyuth Srinivasan, the co-founder and CEO of Entrupy, emphasizes the importance of this technology in fostering trust between resellers and consumers. According to him, by providing a third-party certification of authenticity, Entrupy adds a layer of verifiable trust to transactions in the resale market. Entrupy’s service currently focuses on accessories from major luxury brands, which are most susceptible to counterfeiting. In an interview, Srinivasan states,
“The whole point of doing this is to add trust and make it verifiable as a third party. It’s the consumer having the certainty that this is not just [one] person saying that it’s authentic; there’s also a third party that’s not invested in the transaction, certifying it.”
As per information available on its website, Entrupy reports widespread adoption of its AI technology among vintage resellers, with hundreds of such businesses utilizing the service by December 2020. For instance, Entrupy has recently formed a partnership with TikTok Shop in the United States. This collaboration designates Entrupy as the official authenticator for pre-owned luxury handbags on the platform.
TikTok Shop announced Entrupy, an AI tool, as its official partner for U.S. luxury authentication. https://t.co/m5a7QtF6D4 pic.twitter.com/sy7HyTJa4t
— Fashionista.com (@Fashionista_com) October 18, 2023
Parallel developments in 2023
In a similar vein, LVMH’s Patou is combating counterfeits in the fashion industry. Their collaboration with technology partner Ordre led to the development of an AI-powered authentication system. This system, integrated into the Authentique app, allows customers to authenticate Patou products using just their smartphone camera.
This came as advancements in manufacturing technology, including laser cutting and 3D printing, enabled black-market producers to create counterfeit products with a high degree of precision.
Similarly, the FeaturePrint App, developed by Washington-based Alitheon, utilizes optical AI technology to identify the authenticity of a product from a single smartphone photo. Unlike traditional methods that rely on barcodes or holograms, FeaturePrint employs a mathematical set of numbers to characterize the unique features of each item, akin to a fingerprint.
According to the company, this service can accurately identify products regardless of their condition, including those that are damaged or broken. Additionally, it remains effective even when items are photographed from various angles or orientations. FeaturePrint also incorporates a feature for tracking the history of individual items, enhancing its utility for detailed product audits.
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