Moleskine Faces Backlash for Using AI in Lord of the Rings Collection

Moleskine announced a new Lord of the Rings collection of notebooks, planners, and merchandise on April 15, 2026, but faced immediate backlash after a small disclaimer on some images read 'Imagined by Moleskine, generated by AI.' The AI-generated art features flat, minimalist designs of locations like Helm's Deep and Gondor, with generic details and block colors. Critics noted that without the disclaimer, the AI origin would be undetectable. Moleskine's Instagram post did not initially mention AI, and the disclaimer was absent from individual product pages. On April 17, Moleskine commented on Instagram that notebook covers were created by designers while AI enhanced backgrounds, but they did not apologize or remove the images. The company later removed the AI disclaimer from its website while keeping the images. The collection remains on sale, with a $175 three-book set already sold out. Moleskine has not named the designers or provided evidence of human-made covers. The controversy highlights a lack of transparency and regulations around AI use in consumer products, especially for a brand that markets itself as championing creativity. Former CEO Christophe Archaimbault had stated in May 2025, 'Our mission is to unleash human genius on paper,' but new leadership appears to contradict that ethos.