Wuffy and Other ‘AI’ Dogs

“This robotic puppy looks so real, it completely fooled my neighbor, who’s a veterinarian,” begins the grandfather narrator in a YouTube ad for Wuffy – a toy puppy that purportedly uses AI to play and bond with humans just like a real dog. The grandfather, who has gifted a Wuffy to his granddaughter, Emma, who is seen playing with Wuffy in the ad, continues:

This isn’t just some stuffed animal. Wuffy has smart technology inside that recognizes Emma’s voice and responds to her. He sits on command, barks when you talk to him, walks around the house, even tilts his head and wags his tail exactly like a real puppy.

But after receiving a consumer tip, TINA.org found that the only “smart technology” may be the ad itself. Specifically, a closer look at the ad reveals that it has the hallmarks of an AI-generated video.

Take Wuffy’s size and how it changes dramatically throughout the video, from appearing as small as a coffee mug to half of Emma’s size. Meanwhile, the depictions of Wuffy in the video aren’t anything like what the product looks like – or seems capable of doing – on the website the ad links to – getwuffy.com:

The video also produces a squeaky toy sound effect, as opposed to an actual bark, when the barking feature is mentioned.

In fact, a multitude of consumers have complained on Getwuffy’s Trustpilot profile that Wuffy doesn’t perform as advertised and is more like a “small squeaky toy” than an AI-powered robot puppy (while also noting issues with the company’s return process – more on this to come).

And after some digging, TINA.org found several more reasons to doubt the legitimacy of getwuffy.com including:

• The website advertises a 100% money-back guarantee, but the company’s returns and refunds policy, which is only accessible by clicking a link at the very bottom of the site, states that “reduced priced” products (the only products currently available on getwuffy.com) aren’t eligible for a refund. And despite calling it a “100%” money-back guarantee, it doesn’t cover any return shipping costs.
• Some images on the site raise suspicions, such as one depicting a person with an extra toe (which, despite being a real condition, is also a sign of AI generation).
• TINA.org couldn’t find any evidence to back the company’s many advertised toy awards, including its 2025 “Toy of the Year” award.

Who’s behind the YouTube ad?

According to Google, which owns YouTube, the company responsible for the Wuffy ad is UAB Commerce Core, a Lithuanian company that advertises a range of different products and has reportedly engaged in fraudulent clickbait before. The company has also been the subject of multiple ASA investigations in the U.K. for misleading YouTube ads.

However, the issue may not be isolated to one bad actor as we also found various different advertisers (according to Google) that are also pushing Wuffy or other purported AI dogs with some of the same images and text found on getwuffy.com. The names of the products are also similar such as Waggy and Wiggy:

UAB Commerce Core did not respond to a request for comment.

The bottom line

AI fakes are on the rise. But the old adage still applies – if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always do your research (for example, checking the product’s site for any inconsistencies) and consider what consumers may have to say on a variety of third-party review sites before trusting a company with your money.

Find more of our coverage on bait-and-switch schemes.