TL;DR

The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a paid Facebook advert for a “smart robotic puppy” after finding it used AI-generated video to mislead consumers about the product’s capabilities. ITV News found similar AI-enhanced adverts across social media platforms promoting products that bear little resemblance to what actually arrives.

What happened

The banned advert promoted a cheap toy marketed under names including “Wuffy”, “Wiggy”, and “Waggy” through AI-animated videos showing a puppy-like robot walking, responding to voice commands, and behaving realistically. Customers who ordered the product — priced at around £12.99 on TikTok Shop and through Facebook ads — received a basic toy that could only move back and forth and squeak.

Laura Merriman from Rhondda Cynon Taff ordered two from TikTok Shop after seeing a video advert. “They were not even the same colour, not the same shape, everything was completely different,” she said.

Jessica Tye, regulatory projects manager at the ASA, confirmed the advert was “completely misleading” and that the ruling was prompted by consumer complaints.

The wider problem

ITV News identified a broader pattern of AI-generated images and videos being used across social media to promote products that look nothing like the real item. One consumer from Suffolk was misled by an AI-generated image of a stained glass lamp on Facebook, receiving a substandard product instead.

The ASA’s advertising code contains no specific rules about AI use in adverts, and advertisers are not required to disclose when AI has been used. However, existing rules state that adverts cannot misrepresent a product’s appearance or features regardless of the technology used to create them.

Meta said it had removed the advertiser from its platforms for violating advertising standards. TikTok said its sellers receive guidance on AI use and all AI content on the platform must be labelled.

Looking forward

The ASA maintains its existing rules are “fit for purpose” for addressing AI-generated misleading content. For UK consumers, the case highlights the growing difficulty of distinguishing AI-enhanced product imagery from reality — a challenge that will only intensify as generative AI tools become more accessible to advertisers of all sizes.