What documented cases exist of AI deepfakes using physician likenesses to sell supplements?
Executive summary
Documented cases show a recent, well-reported wave of deepfakes-promoting-dietary-supplements">AI-generated deepfakes that use the likenesses and voices of real physicians and academics to promote dietary supplements and unapproved remedies, uncovered by investigations from organizations including Full Fact, The New York Times and outlets in Australia and the U.K. [1] [2] [3].
1. The Full Fact probe: hundreds of impersonations tied to a supplements funnel
A detailed Full Fact investigation found "hundreds" of videos on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms using AI-manipulated footage of real doctors and academics to endorse supplements, notably linking many of those fake endorsements to a U.S. supplements seller called Wellness Nest and accounts such as @better_healthy_life that routed viewers to product pages [1] [4].
2. High-profile victims named in multiple investigations
Specific, named clinicians have been targeted and reported this publicly: Professor David Taylor‑Robinson was depicted discussing fabricated menopause claims in clips that gained hundreds of thousands of views before removal, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki’s image was used in Facebook ads for pills in Australia, and UK physician Gemma Newman warned followers after a manipulated TikTok showed her promoting large-dose vitamin B12 capsules—cases covered by The Guardian, ABC Australia and The New York Times [4] [3] [2].
3. The scam mechanics: AI, fabricated scripts and cross-platform advertising
Reporting and security analyses describe a playbook where real footage or images of experts are lifted, AI rewrites speech and facial movements to produce convincing endorsements, and operators amplify the content with paid placements and complementary pages to sell “miracle” supplements—Check Point, Bitdefender and eWEEK document coordinated campaigns that combine deepfakes, fake testimonials and fraudulent storefronts [5] [6] [7].
4. Product themes and public‑health concerns
The fraudulent ads commonly push supplements aimed at weight loss, menopause relief or diabetes management (examples include Himalayan shilajit, “Glyco Balance” diabetes supplements and unproven weight‑loss remedies), raising alarm that consumers may forgo evidence‑based care or ingest unsafe doses; outlets including Full Fact, The New York Times and ABC highlighted both the specific products and the broader public‑health risk [1] [2] [3].
5. Platform response, takedowns and limits of current evidence
Platforms removed many but not all offending clips after complaints—Full Fact reported removals after contact with TikTok, while other pieces of reporting show slow or inconsistent enforcement—and investigators warn that takedowns are patchy and that scams migrate across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and ad networks including Google [1] [4] [8]. The assembled reporting documents clear, multiple instances of physician‑deepfakes used to sell supplements, but it does not provide a comprehensive global tally or a forensic catalogue of every campaign; available sources focus on several linked campaigns and notable victims [1] [5] [9].
6. Industry reactions and what remains unconfirmed
Medical societies, affected clinicians and cybersecurity researchers describe these deepfakes as a new category of consumer fraud and medical misinformation and urge better monitoring and verification; outlets like eMarketer and Medscape echo this concern and recommend that pharma and public‑health actors do their own surveillance [8] [9]. While reporting names specific companies (e.g., Wellness Nest, Peaka) and products in connection with the deepfakes, independent regulators’ full investigations and comprehensive legal outcomes are not consistently detailed in the sources provided, leaving gaps about who created the campaigns and the ultimate commercial chains behind every fake endorsement [1] [5].