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The social media platform TikTok and various social media platforms are featuring artificially created deepfake videos of doctors whose statements have been manipulated to promote supplements and circulate false medical claims.

Uncovering the Scheme

An investigative group has discovered hundreds of such videos featuring digital copies of doctors and influencers pointing users to a American wellness company.

All the deepfakes use real footage of a health expert taken from the web. Nevertheless, the visuals and sound have been modified so that the individuals are urging women experiencing menopause to buy products such as probiotics from the company’s website.

“This represents a sinister and worrying emerging strategy,” stated the investigator who undertook the research.

Professionals Impersonated

An expert in health inequalities is among those whose image has been manipulated. He was surprised to find that doctored videos claiming to depict him recommending products with unproven benefits were being hosted online.

Though he is a specialist in children’s health, in a particular clip the digital impersonation of him was talking about an supposed symptom. The fabricated version suggested that individuals visit a website and purchase a supplement featuring plant extracts selected for menopausal symptoms.

“It was very disorienting to begin with – entirely bizarre,” the real professional commented. “I did not feel intensely wronged, but I did become increasingly frustrated at the notion of people selling products based on my reputation and the false medical advice involved.”

Platform Response

The platform took down the content several weeks after reports were lodged. “Initially, they indicated a portion of the clips violated their guidelines but others were acceptable. That was illogical – and weird,” he noted.

Investigators also found similar deepfakes on additional social networks, all connected with the same wellness company.

Firm's Denial

The company in question stated to researchers that deepfake videos directing individuals to access its site were “completely unrelated” with its business. It said it had “never used synthetic media”, but “cannot control affiliates around the world”.

Demands for Action

Lawmakers have argued that “From fake doctors to automated accounts that encourage suicide, artificial intelligence is being used to exploit innocent people.”

“Were these individuals deceptively posing to be medical doctors they would face criminal prosecution. How is the online version being allowed?” they questioned.

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

Industry-Wide Challenge

A spokesperson for the social media platform commented: “Dangerously deceptive AI-generated content is an industry-wide challenge, and we continue to invest in novel methods to detect and remove material that violates our platform rules.”