DoorDash has confirmed that it permanently banned a delivery driver after an Austin, Texas resident alleged the driver used an AI-generated image to falsely claim a delivery was completed.

The incident gained attention after Byrne Hobart shared his experience on X, stating that a DoorDash driver accepted his order, immediately marked it as delivered, and submitted what appeared to be an AI-generated photo showing a food order placed at his front door. Hobart contrasted the submitted image with a real photo of his doorstep, noting visible inconsistencies.

As the post went viral, Hobart acknowledged that the situation could be dismissed as fabricated. However, he added that another user responded in the thread claiming they experienced the same issue in Austin, involving a driver with the same display name.

Hobart speculated that the driver may have used a compromised account on a jailbroken phone, possibly accessing images of his home through DoorDash’s feature that displays photos from previous deliveries to help drivers locate addresses.

In a statement to TechCrunch, a DoorDash spokesperson confirmed the company’s response to the incident. “After quickly investigating this incident, our team permanently removed the Dasher’s account and ensured the customer was made whole,” the spokesperson said. “We have zero tolerance for fraud and use a combination of technology and human review to detect and prevent bad actors from abusing our platform.”

The case highlights growing concerns around the misuse of artificial intelligence and platform vulnerabilities, particularly as delivery services increasingly rely on automated verification systems.

Source: Techcrunch