Misleading health claims from AI-generated doctors are posing a “huge danger to public safety,” experts have warned, after research shows these accounts are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health advice.
Rise of AI Doctor Accounts
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 have spread disproven myths about cancer, including that microwaving food in plastic, using deodorants, and sleeping next to your phone could all cause cancer – claims refuted by Cancer Research UK.
Research Findings
The research, published by digital marketing agency Hallam, found that AI-generated content appeared in 40% of top health-related TikTok videos. For specific search terms like “health tips”, 84% of videos were classed as AI-generated or AI-assisted. Top AI-generated doctor and health videos received an average of 2.5 million views. TikTok removed examples of the videos that were sent to the platform by the Guardian.
The accounts also promoted bizarre remedies such as Coca-Cola mixed with onion as a pain-relief remedy and a fake product called “Hyalethinap Plus Pro Max” as an anti-ageing solution. One avatar claimed he had recommended the product for years, claiming it combats “hair loss, skin weakening, brittle nails and joint pain” by helping the body produce “anti-ageing molecules naturally”. The Guardian found no evidence of the product online.
Expert and Official Responses
Prof Frankie Swords, national medical director at NHS England, said it was concerning to see a rise in online medical misinformation. “Many clinicians are reporting an increasing number of patients who feel worried and confused due to false advice that has been made solely for clicks,” she added. Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, said she was also concerned, adding that misleading AI content carried a “real risk” of harm.
Alex Ruani, health misinformation researcher at UCL, said the rise of AI doctor videos represented a “frightening amount of exposure to fake medical content”. “We’re looking at industrialised exploitation of trust,” she added.
Public Impact
Last year, a poll by Savanta on behalf of Healthwatch England found that about one in five people in England used social media for health information. William Pett, interim director of policy and public affairs at Healthwatch England, said: “Without the skills to distinguish reliable information from commercial hype or misinformation, [people] risk being misled in ways that can seriously affect their health.”
A TikTok spokesperson said: “These findings from a marketing agency with commercial interests are not an accurate reflection of our platform.” The spokesperson added that TikTok removes harmful health misinformation, including AI-generated content, partners with the World Health Organization and the NHS on reliable health information, and invests in AI literacy resources and labelling technologies.
