AI Doctors Scam: Deepfakes Sell Fake Cures

Deceptive AI-generated deepfake videos are proliferating on social media, impersonating medical experts to sell supplements with unsubstantiated health benefits. These manipulated videos use real footage of doctors and influencers, altering their words to promote products for conditions like menopausal symptoms. Fact-checking organizations have identified hundreds of such instances, highlighting a worrying trend where well-respected individuals appear to endorse dubious remedies.

The creators of these deepfakes leverage AI to create compelling endorsements, aiming to exploit public trust in medical professionals. Experts whose likenesses have been used expressed shock and frustration, noting the difficulty in getting platforms to remove the misleading content. One expert found that 14 doctored videos featuring him were initially deemed acceptable by a platform, underscoring the challenges in content moderation.

This sophisticated misinformation tactic has led to urgent calls for social media platforms to enhance their vigilance against AI-generated content. Lawmakers and consumer advocates are demanding quicker removal of deceptive videos and questioning why digital impersonations are treated differently from real-world fraud. The spread of these fake endorsements poses a significant risk to public health and trust.