AI 'Doctors' Are Flooding Facebook and TikTok With Fake Health Advice: Here's How They Fool Users

Social media is seeing a rise in AI-generated 'doctors' and self-proclaimed health experts pushing questionable health advice while advertising unsubstantiated supplements. Realistic AI personas are often used to make the promotions seem more believable.

The videos often feature digital avatars that look like real doctors, health coaches or practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine. Others mimic social media influencers. They would appear in grocery aisles, bedrooms or parking lots as they enthusiastically endorse supplements they say have dramatically changed their health. The ads are designed to imitate real videos, and some viewers may not be aware that the people on screen are AI-generated.

Looks Like the Real Thing

Many of the AI-generated videos include clinics, framed diplomas, and other visual cues that are meant to look like legitimate medical settings. However, closer examination revealed that there were false credentials and other glaring clues.

An AI-generated ad showed an elderly Asian woman in a white lab coat, giving what she called traditional Chinese medical advice. 'In Chinese medicine, we have known exactly how to bring this down for generations,' the avatar says. Meanwhile, another ad showed an AI-generated doctor holding up a diploma from the fictitious 'University of Degree' and highlighting the fabricated credentials.

One Customer's Story Highlights the Risks

The campaign drew consumers such as 71-year-old Pamela Wundrow. She said that she kept seeing Facebook ads for Rosabella, so she thought she'd try moringa supplements. She hoped the product would ease the symptoms of her autoimmune disease.

Federal regulators recalled Rosabella's moringa supplements months later after contaminated pills were linked to salmonella infections. Although Wundrow didn't contract salmonella, she believed that the supplement contributed to her decline in overall health.

'They're targeting us people that have health issues,' she said. Wundrow's experience underscores how convincing online ads can be in swaying people who are looking for long-term solutions for their health problems.

AI Makes Fake Health Ads Cheaper Than Ever

Many of these ads are surprisingly cheap to produce. It was also reported that a Chinese marketing company is churning out AI-generated ads for TikTok brands, tailoring them to resemble content made by American creators.

Vivi Yi, the company's AI marketing chief, said that the company produces roughly 1,200 videos daily, each costing just around $10 apiece. She said health products should be promoted more cautiously, and that marketers should avoid bold claims like 'lose weight' instead of phrases like 'weight management'.

Platforms Struggle to Keep Up

The findings raise fresh questions about whether social media companies are doing enough to stop AI-powered health scams. TikTok said it removes misleading health content, while Meta said it labels some AI-generated content and removes posts or ads that violate its policies.

Despite these measures, a number of AI-generated health ads are reportedly found on Meta's platforms before they are ultimately removed. The result is that users, particularly older adults, are left to decide what's real and what's AI-generated.

After watching one advert featuring an AI-created woman promoting a supplement supposedly rooted in Chinese medicine, Wundrow admitted she believed it was genuine. 'I have seen others where you can tell it's AI. To me, this does not look like an AI,' she said. The findings highlight how increasingly realistic and inexpensive AI-generated ads can make it harder for users to distinguish authentic health information from fabricated content.