Misleading health claims online pose a “huge danger to public safety”, experts have warned, after research has shown that AI-generated doctors are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health advice.
The British Medical Association council deputy chair, Dr Emma Runswick, flagged the risks posed by AI accounts that “peddle medical myths and promote so-called miracle cures”.
“Platforms like TikTok must do more to stop the rise of dangerous fake medical advice … otherwise, it is the public who could be paying the price with their health and perhaps even their lives,” she added.
AI-generated physicians were found to have spread disproven myths about cancer, including that microwaving food in plastic, using deodorants and sleeping next to your phone could all cause cancer – all claims which have been refuted by Cancer Research UK.
The research found that AI-generated content appeared in 40% of top health-related TikTok videos, with most posted by a growing number of deepfake influencer accounts designed to resemble real doctors. For some specific search terms, such as “health tips”, 84% of videos were classed as AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
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The accounts also promoted bizarre remedies for various health problems, including Coca-Cola mixed with onion as a pain-relief remedy and a fake product called “Hyalethinap Plus Pro Max” as an anti-ageing solution.
