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The social media platform TikTok and various online networks are hosting artificially created deepfake videos of medical professionals whose words have been altered to promote supplements and circulate health misinformation.

The Investigation

A factchecking organisation has discovered hundreds of such videos featuring impersonated versions of physicians and online personalities pointing users to a US-based wellness company.

Each of the deepfakes use authentic video of a health expert sourced from the internet. Nevertheless, the visuals and sound have been modified so that the individuals are encouraging individuals going through a life stage to purchase items such as probiotics from the company’s website.

“This is certainly a alarming and concerning new tactic,” said the factchecker who undertook the research.

Doctors Targeted

Prof David Taylor-Robinson is one of the individuals whose likeness has been manipulated. He was shocked to find that altered footage purporting to show him recommending products with unverified claims were being shared online.

Although he is a expert in pediatrics, in a particular clip the digital impersonation of him was discussing an supposed symptom. The fabricated version suggested that individuals go to a site and purchase a natural probiotic featuring plant extracts selected for menopausal symptoms.

“It was really confusing to start with – all quite surreal,” the real professional commented. “I did not feel intensely wronged, but I did become more and more irritated at the notion of people marketing goods based on my work and the false medical advice being spread.”

Social Media Action

The platform removed the videos several weeks after complaints were made. “At first, they indicated a portion of the clips broke their rules but some were fine. That was absurd – and strange,” the professional stated.

Investigators also identified comparable AI-generated videos on additional social networks, all connected with the same wellness company.

Company Statement

The company in question told investigators that deepfake videos directing individuals to visit its website were “completely unrelated” with its operations. It said it had “not employed AI-generated content”, but “is unable to monitor affiliates globally”.

Demands for Action

Lawmakers have argued that “From fake doctors to bots that promote self-harm, artificial intelligence is being deployed to prey on vulnerable individuals.”

“If these were people fraudulently pretending to be medical doctors they would face legal charges. Why is the online version being tolerated?” one representative asked.

There are demands for AI deepfakes posing as healthcare workers to be “stamped out”, with clinically approved tools strongly promoted.

Industry-Wide Challenge

A representative for the video-sharing app commented: “Harmfully misleading AI-generated content is an industry-wide challenge, and we are investing in novel methods to identify and delete content that violates our platform rules.”