Dr Nicole James, a British dermatologist, has spoken out after claiming an Instagram page used AI to turn her into a different person to sell hair products. She says clips from her real social media were lifted, tweaked, and reposted to make it look like an older, American version of her was giving advice.
Dr James shares dermatology and haircare tips aimed at the Black community. She says the bogus account racked up more than 20,000 followers and gained a million views on one post. The videos keep her words and setting but add a sales pitch for a specific hair oil via an Amazon link.
Dystopian experience
A follower spotted the account around two weeks ago. At first, Dr James didn't recognise herself. She said: "It's absolutely dystopian and I'm furious. I clicked on the video, and at first I thought it wasn't me, but as the video went on, I realised it's word-for-word."
She added: "When I look closer, I've seen that they've taken my face and aged me by about 20 years. It looks like my mum. At first it was almost so ridiculous that I found it funny. It was unbelievable, almost a bit laughable at first, but when I rewatched it and looked at the page and saw multiple videos that they've done that with, and I was furious."
Trust exploited
Dr James feels the account is targeting the community she built over three years. She said: "I've been to medical school, I've earned that trust. You're taking my community and using it to sell something that doesn't work." She and her followers reported the page, but no action was taken.
Now specialising in dermatology in the US, Dr James is due to join Stanford University as a research fellow. She warns that "medfluencers" can be helpful but their credibility can be hijacked by AI impersonators. She fears the tech will soon make it impossible to tell real from fake.
Legal gaps
Currently, no laws prevent using AI to replicate someone's likeness, and existing protections are hard to enforce. Dr James reported the account for intellectual property theft, but no action was taken. The firm and Instagram account have been contacted for comment.
