The Rise of AI Doctor Ads: A Growing Online Threat
In the rapidly evolving landscape of social media, a new wave of AI-driven deceit is shifting the way we consume health and wellness information. This is not just a minor inconvenience; it’s a significant threat to digital safety and consumer trust, especially regarding health products and medical advice. The recent surge of AI avatars and video influencers promoting dubious health supplements, Face scammers and software activists enthusiastically promote these issues for watchers worldwide.
The Genesis of a Concern
A year ago, Cathy Pedrayes, a vigilant mom and content creator, stumbled upon a concerning TikTok video while scrolling during the holiday shopping season. The video featured a woman claiming to be a “butt doctor,” offering dubious health advice that could have attracted gullible viewers. Despite recognizing it as fake, Pedrayes was astonished to see it had amassed 5.2 million views. Further investigation exposed a concerning trend:
Millions of people watched this video, it was promoted as it is and I’m hoping no one bought what they’re selling. This is AI. It’s fake and I’m noticing a ton of accounts using this tactic. • They repost the same kind of clickbait headline about a spouse cheating, weight loss or something that sounds weird like ‘butt doctor.’ • They build up the account as a ‘person’ and then change the username to a company. • At the end of the video, they typically promote a health supplement and/or a newsletter. Even if you can’t tell what’s AI- if clickbait is a red flag for you, that’ll help protect you from AI garbage like this (& a lot of scams in general).#ai #scamalert #scammers #response #reaction #safetytips #onlinesafety #digitalsafety
Pedrayes’ discovery is just the tip of the iceberg. AI-generated doctor ads have infiltrated social media platforms, using AI avatars to create a false sense of authenticity and credibility. These videos, often a combination of real and AI-generated content, are meticulously edited to mimic direct-to-camera videos, making them indistinguishable at first glance. For social media users and creators, detecting AI-generated content has becomes critical but increasingly difficult.
The Role of AI in Digital Safety
One of the most alarming aspects of this trend is how seamlessly AI avatars can mimic real people. These AI influencers are used to promote everything from skincare routines to health supplements, often promoting outdated or harmful methods (such as using beef tallow for sunscreen).Yes, beet tallow is unhealthy and can cause a rash or allergies.
Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist on TikTok, joined the crusade against these scams. He posted about these AI doctors, cautioning his audience and providing evidence linking many of these videos to the app Captions.ai. This app lets creators transform text prompts into videos with a variety of AI avatars, chosen by race, gender, and setting. While the app prohibits misrepresentation, the lack of enforcement leaves a vast loophole for scammers. Ford’s main concern is the sheer velocity at which these scams are multiplying, exacerbated by a lack of critical thinking and an alarming level of scientific illiteracy among many viewers.
Case Study:
Using examples of tactics by Ford and the captions.ai app to expose the scams
The pedrayes account video:
Media Matters Report on AI Scams:
“It’s a consumer safety issue as well as a user safety issue, because you have a network of companies or accounts impersonating anyone from a medical professional, fake doctors like surgeons as well illustrating fake or fabricated testimonials tricking online shoppers.
Here’s a digestible snapshot of the extent of AI-driven scams from the Media Matters report:
| Platforms Affected | Type of Scam | AI Label Requirement |
| Facebook, Instagram, TikTok | AI Doctor Ads, Health Supplements, Fitness Gadgets, Wellness Buzzwords | Both platforms require an AI label, but enforcement is inconsistent and often missing. |
+++++
For platforms and social media incitements to be voiced scoping out the harmful use and unfair ways of directing health users to the targeted audience’s niche health program is essential. This is no longer just a passing fad; it’s a systemic problem requiring robust intervention from platforms and foster user awareness.
Pedrayes and Ford voiced their concerns loudly, noting how these sophisticated AI scams can easily bypass the critical thinking mechanisms, harming consumers in the process. Pedrayes emphasized that even basic checks terminate malicious scams.
Pro Tips to Avoid AI Scams
Being suspicious of clickbait titles and unwilling to easily believe these promotional resorts posts suggesting fast-skincare routines weighing their outcomes on customer feedback and reviews.
###### AI Generated Medicine and well-being lifestyle are a far out optimization techniques carried out some years back by critical methodology. It has challanged the debate among AI But although content generators for maliciously promoters
Focusing on lingering . Aiming to spend more time capturing AI multitask generators for allying their manipulative ruse behind organic medical feedback.
So where is our best perspective?
Join the movement
Stay safe online
Subscribe to the Newsletter
platform advocates
Stay Informed
Register today
Stay Informed
Register today