Kim Kardashian Accused Of Using AI To Alter Appearance In New Ads

Kim Kardashian is once again facing intense scrutiny online, this time over her appearance in new promotional images tied to her latest business venture. The reality star and entrepreneur recently shared content promoting an energy drink brand she co-founded, but instead of focusing on the product, social media users quickly zeroed in on her look. Critics flooded comment sections and forums with claims that Kim Kardashian’s face appeared heavily altered, with some even speculating the images were digitally manipulated.

Kardashian shared a series of promotional images and videos for her energy drink brand, Update, showing herself sipping the beverages while preparing for a photoshoot, studying scripts, and getting glam. However, many viewers focused on her facial features rather than the product, with some claiming the images did not resemble her at all.

“Who is this?” one user asked, hinting that they did not recognize Kim Kardashian. “Every day a new face,” another person wrote on X.

Critics alleged that her skin appeared overly smoothed and that her facial structure looked different from that in recent public appearances. Many online discussions included speculation about possible photo editing, cosmetic procedures, and digital enhancements, making her look like she is in her “botched era.”

“Her face looks different due to a mix of fillers/Botox (which she’s discussed), professional makeup/contouring, studio lighting, and heavy photo editing/filters, common in her promo shots,” one X user wrote, while someone else took to Reddit to share, “A lot of Photoshop.”

Some social media users questioned the shape of Kardashian’s nose and the texture of her skin, while others claimed certain facial details appeared blurred or altered. A since-deleted photo reportedly fueled further speculation, prompting users to question whether it had been created with AI.

Kardashian also shared behind-the-scenes insight into how her partnership with the energy drink brand developed, revealing she had been using the product long before becoming a co-founder, calling it her “obsession drink.” “I think you guys have probably seen me carry this drink a lot over the past year and a half,” she said in the video, explaining that her relationship with the company began organically in 2023.

She described being drawn to the product because of her fast-paced lifestyle and focus on wellness. “As someone who moves at an intense pace while prioritizing focus, balance, and what I put in my body, I was drawn to updates approach, to focused energy,” Kardashian said. “Update had quietly become my go-to energy source.”

Unlike traditional caffeinated drinks, she emphasized that the product provides a more balanced boost. “Everyone drinks coffee in the morning, and I get up, and I drink my update. It’s a focused drink. So it’s like a calm energy. It’s not like a jittery energy, and you can fall asleep on it.”

The controversy coincides with Kardashian’s role as a co-founder of Update, an energy drink brand preparing for a nationwide retail rollout, including placement in Walmart stores. In the video, Kardashian also admitted she simply enjoys the taste. “I just, I crave the taste. It’s really weird. It’s sweet, but it’s, like, really good.”

According to the reality star, her involvement grew after she began sharing feedback with the company about the product. “It was known that I was just a long-time consumer of the product, and so I would reach out and give them unsolicited feedback on the flavors, formulations, and packaging.”

According to reports, Kardashian became involved with the company after using the product herself in 2023 and offering feedback the following year, which ultimately led to a partnership. She reportedly played a role in redesigning the packaging to create a more minimal, “masculine” aesthetic, as well as contributing to product reformulation and pricing strategy.

The beverage is marketed as caffeine-free and sugar-free, using paraxanthine, a compound derived from caffeine metabolism, which the company claims avoids the crashes and jitters associated with traditional energy drinks.