AI-generated doctors are attracting millions of TikTok views by sharing dubious health advice, raising concerns about risks to public safety.
Experts said the accounts shared disproven cancer claims, fake products and unverified remedies while presenting themselves as medical professionals.
Most of the AI-generated health content was posted by a growing number of deepfake influencer accounts designed to resemble real doctors.
Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chair of the British Medical Association council, warned about accounts that “peddle medical myths and promote so-called miracle cures”.
She said: “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.”
The findings come from research published this month by digital marketing agency Hallam, which analysed 1,198 videos covering health and other advice that could affect people’s lives.
The study found that AI-generated material appeared in 40 per cent of leading health-related TikTok videos.
For searches such as “health tips”, 84 per cent of videos were classified as AI-generated or produced with AI assistance.
Hallam said the leading AI-generated doctor and health videos identified in the research attracted an average of 2.5m views.
TikTok removed examples submitted to the platform by the Guardian.
AI-generated physicians were found to have shared disproven claims that microwaving food in plastic, using deodorants and sleeping next to a phone could cause cancer.
Cancer Research UK has rejected all three claims.
The accounts also promoted unusual remedies, including Coca-Cola mixed with onion for pain relief and a fake product called “Hyalethinap Plus Pro Max” as an anti-ageing treatment.
One avatar claimed he had recommended the product to patients for years and said it could address “hair loss, skin weakening, brittle nails and joint pain” by helping the body produce “anti-ageing molecules naturally”.
The Guardian reported that it could find no evidence of “Hyalethinap Plus Pro Max” products online.
Professor Frankie Swords, national medical director at NHS England, said the rise in online medical misinformation was concerning.
She said: “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.”
Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, said she was also concerned by the research and that misleading AI-generated material carried a “real risk” of harm.
Hallam selected the leading 50 videos across a series of search terms, including “health tips” and “doctor advice”.
It also examined advice on other issues that could affect people’s lives, including personal finance and education.
Alex Ruani, a health misinformation researcher at University College London, said the rise in AI doctor videos represented a “frightening amount of exposure to fake medical content”.
She added: “We’re looking at industrialised exploitation of trust.”
The findings follow previous warnings from the NHS that misinformation shared on social media poses a threat to public health.
A poll carried out last year found that about one in five adults in England used social media to find health information.
The survey was conducted by Savanta for Healthwatch England and involved 3,575 men and 3,832 women aged 18 and over.
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 disputed the findings.
The spokesperson said: “These findings from a marketing agency with commercial interests are not an accurate reflection of our platform.
“The facts are that we remove harmful health misinformation, including when it’s AI-generated, we partner with the World Health Organization and the NHS on providing reliable health information in-app, and we continually invest in AI literacy resources and labelling technologies.”
