Doctors You Trust Are Being REPLACED by AI Deepfakes—Find Out How This Misinformation Could Endanger YOUR Health!

TikTok and other social media platforms are facing scrutiny as AI-generated deepfake videos featuring manipulated footage of doctors are being used to promote health supplements and spread misinformation. The fact-checking organization Full Fact has identified hundreds of these deceptive videos, which misrepresent health experts and influencers to direct viewers toward a U.S.-based supplements firm, **Wellness Nest**.

These deepfake videos utilize real footage of health professionals taken from various online sources. However, the audio and images are altered to make it appear as if these experts are endorsing products intended for women experiencing menopause. Among the manipulated messages are recommendations for supplements like probiotics and **Himalayan shilajit**, products advertised on Wellness Nest's website.

“This is certainly a sinister and worrying new tactic,” remarked Leo Benedictus, the fact-checker who led the investigation published by Full Fact. He emphasized that the creators of these deepfake health videos utilize AI technology to falsely portray well-respected figures endorsing supplements for ailments.

One of the individuals targeted is **Professor David Taylor-Robinson**, an expert in health inequalities at **Liverpool University**. In August, he was shocked to discover that TikTok hosted 14 doctored videos using his likeness to promote unproven health products. Although he specializes in children’s health, one deepfake depicted him discussing a supposed menopause-related issue termed “thermometer leg.” This fake version of Taylor-Robinson urged women to visit Wellness Nest to purchase a “natural probiotic” claiming to contain “10 science-backed plant extracts, including turmeric, black cohosh, **Dim** [diindolylmethane], and moringa, specifically chosen to tackle menopausal symptoms.”

The deepfake version further claimed that female colleagues had reported experiencing deeper sleep, fewer hot flashes, and brighter mornings within weeks of using the product. Taylor-Robinson learned about the misuse of his image only after a colleague alerted him. “It was really confusing to begin with – all quite surreal,” he stated. “My kids thought it was hilarious.” However, he expressed irritation at the idea of individuals profiting from products based on his work, particularly given the health misinformation involved.

The footage utilized for these deepfakes came from a talk Taylor-Robinson gave at a **Public Health England** conference in 2017 and a parliamentary hearing on child poverty where he provided evidence earlier this year. In one misleading deepfake, he was depicted swearing and making misogynistic comments while discussing menopause.

After Taylor-Robinson reported the videos to TikTok, it took the platform six weeks to remove them. Initially, TikTok stated that some of the videos violated its guidelines, while others “were fine.” Taylor-Robinson found this absurd because all the videos featured him and were indeed deepfakes. “It was a faff to get them taken down,” he noted.

Full Fact's investigation also uncovered eight additional deepfakes featuring **Duncan Selbie**, the former chief executive of Public Health England, who similarly was manipulated to discuss menopause using video clips from the same 2017 event where Taylor-Robinson spoke. Selbie remarked about one video mimicking him, stating, “It’s a complete fake from beginning to end. It wasn’t funny in the sense that people pay attention to these things.”

Similar deepfakes have also surfaced on social media platforms like **X**, **Facebook**, and **YouTube**, all linked to Wellness Nest or its British counterpart, **Wellness Nest UK**. High-profile doctors, including **Professor Tim Spector** and the late **Dr. Michael Mosley**, have also been impersonated in videos promoting the supplements.

In response to Full Fact's findings, Wellness Nest claimed that the deepfake videos encouraging visits to its website were “100% unaffiliated” with its business, asserting that it has never used AI-generated content but cannot control or monitor affiliates worldwide.

Political leaders are taking note of the potential dangers of such misinformation. **Helen Morgan**, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, expressed concern, stating, “From fake doctors to bots that encourage suicide, AI is being used to prey on innocent people and exploit the widening cracks in our health system.” Morgan called for a crackdown on AI deepfakes impersonating medical professionals, advocating for the promotion of clinically approved tools to fill a gap in reliable health advice.

Moreover, she emphasized that individuals misrepresenting themselves as doctors could face criminal prosecution, questioning why their digital equivalents are not being held to the same standard. The push for accountability includes a proposal that anyone seeking health advice from an AI bot should be referred to **NHS** support for accurate diagnosis and treatment, with criminal liability for those profiting from medical disinformation.

A spokesperson for TikTok stated, “We have removed this content for breaking our rules against harmful misinformation and behaviors that seek to mislead our community, such as impersonation.” They acknowledged that harmful AI-generated content poses an industry-wide challenge and affirmed their commitment to improving methods for detecting and removing misleading content.

This growing trend of deepfake technology raises critical questions about the integrity of health information on social media platforms. As AI capabilities advance, the potential for misuse looms larger, underscoring the necessity for vigilance from both the public and tech companies in combating health misinformation.