Doctor Warns of AI Deepfakes Used in Fake Weight Loss Endorsements

The Rise of AI Deepfakes in Advertising

• 💡 The "pink salt diet" is being promoted through ads featuring AI-generated deepfakes of celebrities and doctors.
• 🎭 Dr. Rachel Goldman, a psychologist, found an AI-generated version of herself endorsing the diet, which she describes as "weird and scary."
• ⚠️ Goldman is concerned that people are falling for these fake endorsements, with some relatives and customers inquiring about the product's efficacy and safety.

Dangers of Falsified Medical Endorsements

• 💬 Dr. Goldman receives messages from individuals sharing their medical history, seeking advice on the safety of products promoted through deepfakes.
• 🛡️ Even public figures like Oprah Winfrey, who has a digital security team, struggle with the constant takedown of fake ads.
• 📢 Oprah Winfrey has publicly stated that any ad featuring her face endorsing a product is fake.
• 📺 Similarly, Gail King of CBS Mornings denounced a deepfake video falsely showing her endorsing a weight loss product, finding it unsettling.

Legislative and Technological Responses to Deepfakes

• 📜 Congresswoman Iet Clark has introduced the Deep Fakes Accountability Act, which aims to require digital watermarks on manufactured deepfakes.
• ⏳ The bipartisan Take It Down Act, effective next May, will mandate that websites remove fake content within 48 hours.
• 🛠️ Tech experts demonstrated how easily AI deepfake videos can be created using platforms for instant voice cloning and lip-syncing, with minimal video input.

Increasing Deepfake Complaints and Financial Losses

• 📈 The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has seen more than double the complaints about deepfake AI videos this year compared to last year, with financial losses nearly tripling.
• 🌐 Lionsgate Network reports a spike in cases involving financial fraud victims duped by AI.
• ⚖️ Experts suggest that issues related to deepfakes could be addressed by the FCC and Department of Homeland Security, but it has not been prioritized.

How to Spot and Avoid Deepfake Scams

• ⏸️ Dr. Goldman advises people to pause, inquire, and ask their doctor before reacting to online medical advice.
• 🧐 Tips for spotting deepfakes include looking for awkward facial movements, lip-syncing issues, hissing or buzzing sounds, and unnatural hand movements.
• ✅ Verify endorsements by directly checking the official website or social media of the celebrity or doctor.
• 🌐 Platforms like YouTube and Facebook have stated they remove ads and accounts that violate their policies regarding deepfakes.