If you’re a small business owner or creator, AI-generated deepfakes are no longer a theoretical risk. A recent report highlights scammers using AI-generated videos of health experts to promote questionable supplements. Here’s what happened and how you can protect yourself and your audience.
What happened
Researchers from MIT’s AI Risk Initiative (Airisk) flagged scammers who are using deepfake video and audio of health experts and other public figures in Australia to push health supplements. The technique relies on convincingly generated media to lend credibility to a promotional claim. This is part of a broader trend where AI-generated content is used to mislead consumers or inflate credibility of questionable products.
For more details, see: Scammers Reportedly Using Deepfakes of Health Experts.
Why it matters
- Consumers risk buying unsafe or ineffective products when endorsements come from fake media.
- Brands and creators can suffer reputational harm if their names are attached to deepfakes or fake endorsements.
- IT and security teams see a growing mix of AI-generated media in social engineering and misinformation campaigns.
Practical steps you can take now
These fixes are quick to test and can reduce your risk without slowing you down.
- 15-minute quick check for individuals: Use an AI-video verification tool like InVID (Chrome extension). Install the InVID extension, open the endorsement video, and use its Verify panels to inspect keyframes, metadata, and source clues. If the source and the content don’t align with official channels, treat it as suspicious.
- Verify endorsements via official sources: For any claimed endorsement, search the expert’s official site or their verified social accounts for an original press release or announcement. If you can’t locate a credible source, don’t share the video or claim.
- Protect your accounts: If you manage public-facing channels, enable two-factor authentication and review who has posting access. This reduces the risk that a compromised account amplifies a fake endorsement.
- Create a quick endorsement-verification workflow (for brands): Before publishing any influencer or expert endorsement, require: a link to the official source, a contact at the expert’s organization, and a copy of the original asset. Keep a small log of approvals.
- Build awareness and training (for teams): Add a one-page media-authenticity reminder to your onboarding or security awareness training. A short, clear guideline helps everyone pause before reposting.
Final thought
AI can speed up good content, but it also makes deception more convincing. A simple, repeatable verification habit protects you, your audience, and your brand from the spread of fake endorsements and misleading claims. Details may evolve as more cases unfold, so stay updated and keep your verification process lightweight but deliberate.