Current:Home > MarketsA Winnie the Pooh crockpot captures social media's attention. The problem? It's not real. -CapitalCourse
A Winnie the Pooh crockpot captures social media's attention. The problem? It's not real.
View
Date:2025-04-18 13:08:25
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! (93344)
Related
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Raise a Glass to Billie Eilish, Emma Stone and More Stars at 2024 Golden Globes After-Parties
- Biggest moments you missed at the Golden Globes, from Jennifer Lawrence to Cillian Murphy
- Lawsuit limits and antisemitism are among topics Georgia lawmakers plan to take on in 2024
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Heavy wave of Russian missile attacks hit areas throughout Ukraine
- Taylor Swift's reaction to Jo Koy's Golden Globes joke lands better than NFL jab
- 'Feed somebody you don’t know': Philadelphia man inspires, heals through food
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Hailee Steinfeld Addresses Josh Allen Engagement Speculation at 2024 Golden Globes
Ranking
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Don't let your resolutions wash away. Tips to turn a slow start into progress
- Lebanon airport screens display anti-Hezbollah message after being hacked
- Bills end season with five straight wins and AFC East. How scary will they be in playoffs?
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- NFL playoff schedule: Dates, times, TV info from wild-card round to Super Bowl 58
- Florida Republicans vote on removing party chairman accused of rape as DeSantis pins hopes on Iowa
- CBS News poll on Jan. 6 attack 3 years later: Though most still condemn, Republican disapproval continues to wane
Recommendation
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
'Prison Confessions of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard': Bombshells from Lifetime's new docuseries
Blinken meets Jordan’s king and foreign minister on Mideast push to keep Gaza war from spreading
With every strike and counterstrike, Israel, the US and Iran’s allies inch closer to all-out war
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
Heavy wave of Russian missile attacks hit areas throughout Ukraine
Golden Globes 2024: Jeannie Mai Shares How She’s Embracing Her Body in Her 40s
How Jennifer Lopez's Life Changed After Rekindling Romance With Ben Affleck