AI-generated deepfake videos of real doctors were created and distributed on TikTok and other social media platforms to spread health misinformation and sell unproven supplements, with hundreds of manipulated videos impersonating respected health experts.
Factchecking organization Full Fact uncovered hundreds of AI-generated deepfake videos on TikTok and other social media platforms featuring manipulated footage of real doctors and health experts. The deepfakes used real footage taken from the internet but altered the audio so the speakers appeared to be endorsing supplements from Wellness Nest, a US-based supplements firm. The videos targeted women going through menopause, promoting products like probiotics and Himalayan shilajit with unproven benefits. Prof David Taylor-Robinson from Liverpool University discovered 14 doctored videos of himself on TikTok in August, despite being a children's health specialist, the fake videos showed him discussing menopause and recommending products. The footage used came from his 2017 Public Health England conference talk on vaccination and a May parliamentary hearing on child poverty. Full Fact also found eight deepfakes of Duncan Selbie, former PHE chief executive, using footage from the same 2017 event. Similar deepfakes appeared on X, Facebook and YouTube featuring other prominent doctors like Prof Tim Spector and the late Dr Michael Mosley. TikTok removed the Taylor-Robinson videos six weeks after he complained, initially claiming some violated guidelines while others were acceptable. Wellness Nest claimed the deepfake videos were '100% unaffiliated' with their business and said they 'cannot control or monitor affiliates around the world'.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
