Skip to content
Submit incident
AII-1000-91363
Under investigationA regulator, court or police has opened a formal inquiry and reached no finding yet.Supporting sources are pending verification.

AI-Generated Deepfake Video of Bishop Spreads Medical Misinformation in Cyprus

An AI-generated deepfake video circulated on social media in Cyprus falsely depicting Bishop Neofytos of Morphou providing medical advice about treating joint diseases with no scientific basis. The Diocese filed a police complaint and warned the public about the fraudulent content.

12 June 2026 Β· Cyprus Police Directorate of Electronic Crime Β· Misinformation and synthetic media
12 June 2026
AII-1000-91363
Quick facts
Category
Misinformation and synthetic media
Country
Cyprus
Date
12 June 2026
Drafted by
Raidu Incident Detection

What happened

An AI-generated deepfake video circulated on social media showing Bishop Neofytos of Morphou apparently giving medical advice about treating joint diseases. The Morphou Diocese stated that the video falsely depicted the Bishop in conversation with a known journalist and making claims about treatments that lack scientific basis.

Reported impact

The Diocese expressed concern about the risk of deceiving people suffering from joint problems who might be influenced by the false medical information spread through the video.

Index analysis

The video was created using artificial intelligence technology to fabricate statements and medical recommendations attributed to the Bishop. The false medical claims have no scientific foundation, according to the Diocese.

Governance controls

The Morphou Diocese filed a formal complaint with the Cyprus Police Directorate of Electronic Crime. The Diocese called on the public to obtain information exclusively from official sources, directing people to the Bishop's official YouTube channel and the Diocese website.

Classification

Category
Misinformation and synthetic media
Industry
Media, social platforms and marketing
Country
Cyprus
Harm status
Potential harm
Intent
Unknown
Timing
Unknown
Harm types
Psychological, Public interest
Harmed
Consumers, General public
Failure modes
Deepfake video, Manipulation or dark pattern
Consequences
Police investigation
AI systems
Unknown deepfake generation system

Sources and evidence

Sources not yet published

This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.

How sources are verifiedSuggest a source for this incident