Jack Daniel’s with Labubu, Pokemon or R2D2: Whisky Aficionados Beware of AI Swindles

Sunday, 10 August 2025 at 09:01

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Is Nintendo suddenly collaborating with Jack Daniel’s? Or Disney with Crown Royal? The answer is no. AI just makes you think it is and scammers are all too ready to exploit this.

You may have already noticed: online whisky bottles are surfacing everywhere adorned with familiar characters and logos from Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon to Labubu and Pikachu. They sometimes seem genuine, but they're not. Whisky aficionados are being defrauded by AI.

FAQ

What are these AI-generated whisky bottles popping up everywhere?
Bottles that look like official whisky decanters, but were entirely made with AI.

Which brands are often used?
The AI whisky bottles frequently feature Jack Daniel’s or Crown Royal, but other brands also show up.

How are people being scammed?
Bottles sometimes get delivered (not always) but then it's often a tiny counterfeit product or something that looks nothing like the advertisement.

How are whisky lovers being deceived by AI-generated fake bottles?

Artificial intelligence started somewhat shaky but can now create credible pictures and even videos. Today, we suddenly have digital whisky bottles of Toothless, R2D2, Hogwarts castle, Labubu, Godzilla, Pokémon, and more.

Scammers use various AI tools to create images of whisky bottles. These often take the shape of a well-known brand or character that is popular. The images spread swiftly via social media and get seen thousands of times.

Sadly, there are also people who go on to buy these bottles and these are the individuals who end up being scammed. They either get nothing delivered or something that looks nothing like the advertised product. It's distorted, lacks details, and is often even tiny.

How can you tell it's a fake?

Vigilant whisky enthusiasts can spot such a bottle isn't real. AI tends to use a certain writing style. This includes many hyphens or colons in texts, and various errors in pictures.

Think of a shiny label, a background that seems out of proportion with the bottle itself, spelling mistakes on the labels, and odd details that don't entirely add up. Observe the details of the Labubu whisky decanter below and spot the mistakes.

An AI-generated Labubu whisky bottle

Almost impossible to halt AI scams

Barring AI-specific scams is almost impossible due to the vastness of the internet. Lovers who bought a bottle via Amazon and Walmart lodged complaints with the stores. The bottles were consequently taken offline, but they just pop up elsewhere.

That’s why we advise everyone who encounters such a bottle: don't blindly believe what you see. Companies like Disney, Nintendo, and Pixar wouldn’t casually collaborate with whisky brands.