Current:Home > MyA Winnie the Pooh crockpot captures social media's attention. The problem? It's not real. -MarketLink
A Winnie the Pooh crockpot captures social media's attention. The problem? It's not real.
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:45:44
Oh, bother!
Winnie the Pooh lovers were recently let down when an AI-generated image of a Winnie the Pooh crockpot being sold at Walmart made its rounds on social media.
Although Walmart does sell a Winnie the Pooh crockpot, this is different from the one going viral online. The doctored image shows a crockpot bearing the smiling face of the Disney character in all his round glory. Covered in flowers, the Pooh-inspired crockpot even includes his iconic red t-shirt and a button in its center to crank the kitchen gadget up.
Walmart did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment but Walmart's website does not appear to have the product in its inventory. The general consensus online from users is that the picture is not authentic. Additionally, the image has all the telltale signs of being fake.
The suspected AI-generated picture was shared on both Reddit and Facebook, leading eager shoppers to ask where they could get their hands on one of the crockpots.
“I want this for my wife,” wrote one Facebook user. “Where can I get it please?”
Another Facebook user inquired about the crockpot as a gift for their granddaughter, adding that she’d love it.
Reddit users talk AI and how to spot fakes
The Winnie the Pooh crockpot also made its way to Reddit. When users began to ask where they could pick one up, others shut it down swiftly.
One Redditor said seeing the crockpot image was the first time they didn’t recognize an image as fake or produced via AI.
But another user said they could tell it was fake because the dial to control the device had nothing on it. And Redditor ariana_mcclair said the letters gave it away.
“AI cannot do letters or numbers correctly or cohesively,” the user wrote. “Look at the ‘goole cure’ and even the squished up ‘Walmart’ on the box in the background.”
The user added that whoever created the image prompted AI to make the crockpot image, then edited “Winnie the Pooh” and crockpot onto the image to make it look real.
Other users were more focused on where to get an actual Winnie the Pooh crockpot since the one pictured wasn’t real.
A quick Google search shows that there are some other Pooh-inspired crockpots on Amazon, BoxLunch, and Walmart as previously mentioned. Whether they will be as much of a hit as the doctored fake crockpot is yet to be seen.
AI images can be dangerous
The crockpot image and others like them have started discussions about how to pursue legal action in more serious cases where AI is used to produce explicit content against those who create them.
Most recently, sexually explicit images of songstress Taylor Swift went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter. As of Monday morning, searches for Taylor Swift on the app lead to a message reading "Something went wrong. Try reloading."
At least 10 states have passed laws banning exploitative deepfake pornography or AI-generated images, audio files or videos with sexual content though, including Texas, Virginia and South Dakota.
There is no federal law regulating it.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Kayla Jimenez, Elizabeth Weise, and Jeanine Santucci
veryGood! (4887)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Met Gala 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Look as the Stars Arrive
- Met Gala 2023: We’ve Never Ever Been Happier to See Sydney Sweeney
- There are plenty of doomsday climate stories — 'Extrapolations' is about the everyday
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Prince William's Role in King Charles III's Coronation Revealed
- Checking In With All the Former Stars of Below Deck Sailing Yacht
- 11 AAPI-Owned Brands To Support Throughout May & Year-Round, Too
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Prince William's Role in King Charles III's Coronation Revealed
Ranking
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Our Favorite Viral TikTok Products That Are Actually Worth the Buy
- Allison Holker Shares She Hasn't Danced Again in First Interview Since Stephen tWitch Boss' Death
- California wants to store floodwaters underground. It's harder than it sounds
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- NFL Star Aaron Rodgers Leaving Green Bay Packers for New York Jets
- Save 40% on TULA Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen and Get a Luminous Look
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Crossbody Bag for Just $75
Recommendation
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
How to stay safe from the smoke that's spreading from the Canadian wildfires
Legendary Talk Show Host Jerry Springer Dead at 79
Shop Limited-Edition Styles & Deals to Celebrate Karl Lagerfeld's Iconic Fashion Legacy
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
These Jaw-Dropping Met Gala Looks Are the Best Red Carpet Moments of All Time
Mark Wahlberg Shares Update on His Kids After Family Move From Hollywood to Las Vegas