That doctor on TikTok giving you health advice? There's a good chance he's not real. He's AI. And millions of people are taking his advice.
The Scale of It
The Guardian dug into new research on this, and the scale is bigger than most people realize:
AI-generated content appeared in 40% of top health-related TikTok videos, mostly from deepfake influencer accounts designed to resemble real doctors. For specific searches like "health tips," that number jumps to 84%.
Top AI-generated doctor and health videos received an average of 2.5 million views -- while pushing claims already debunked by Cancer Research UK, like microwaving food in plastic or sleeping next to your phone causing cancer.
One AI "doctor" claimed he'd recommended a product called "Hyalethinap Plus Pro Max" to patients for years, promising it could fix hair loss, brittle nails, and joint pain. The Guardian could not find evidence this product exists anywhere.
Alex Ruani, a health misinformation researcher at UCL, didn't mince words: "We're looking at industrialised exploitation of trust."
What TikTok Says
TikTok says it removes harmful health misinformation and partners with the WHO and NHS on reliable health info. But the research suggests what's actually ranking, and racking up millions of views, tells a different story.