Artificial intelligence is increasingly being misused to impersonate well-known doctors online, tricking people into buying unproven and sometimes harmful health products.
Dr Robert H Lustig, an endocrinologist and author, was shocked to discover AI-generated videos falsely showing him promoting so-called “liquid pearls” for weight loss with claims such as “No injections, no surgery, just results.” These videos, created without his knowledge or consent, have been circulating widely on social media. “There are so many things wrong with this,” the real Lustig said when he learned of the impersonations.
The problem is not limited to one doctor. British physician Dr Gemma Newman found herself featured in a fake TikTok video endorsing supplements like vitamin B12 and beetroot, with claims targeting women’s insecurities. “It’s a double betrayal because my image is there, supporting something that I don’t believe in,” she said.
Other respected professionals, including Dr Eric Topol and Stanford nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner, have also had their identities misused. Gardner’s likeness and AI-generated voice have appeared across multiple YouTube channels pushing advice he never gave. The impersonations were so convincing that even Newman’s mother believed one fake video was real.
Experts warn that these scams, powered by advanced AI tools, are spreading misinformation at a dangerous scale. Fraudsters can now create convincing images and voices with only a few online clips. According to cybersecurity firm BrandShield, these campaigns often pose as large global operations, falsely using doctors’ identities and even logos of regulatory bodies to gain credibility.
Some fake products, such as one branded Peaka, have even appeared on major e-commerce sites, despite having no official approval. Authorities, advocacy groups, and platforms have started removing some of these listings and fake accounts, but the scale of the problem remains vast.
Doctors fear this trend undermines trust in medical professionals and drowns out genuine health advice. As Gardner noted, experts may now hesitate to share knowledge online, worried their voices will be hijacked.
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