AI-Generated Gurus Spread Unregulated Health Remedies in Brazil
AI-generated fictional personas are selling unregulated health remedy ebooks on Brazilian social media platforms, using deceptive marketing tactics including false testimonials and celebrity endorsements. Anvisa warned that these products lack scientific basis and may delay people from seeking proper medical care, potentially worsening health conditions.
What happened
AI-generated personas creating fictional guru and shaman characters are selling ebooks with unregulated health remedies on social media platforms in Brazil. One profile featuring an indigenous woman created by AI accumulated over 600,000 followers and sold ebooks promising to 'restore anyone's health in seven days'.
The ebooks are marketed through videos with tactics including false testimonials from purported previous buyers and pop-ups falsely claiming celebrities have purchased the products. The publications are attributed to human creators who develop these AI characters, but do not disclose the true identity of those behind the profiles or the AI-generated nature of the content.
Reported impact
The Anvisa warned that these false remedies lack scientific basis and can harm public health by delaying people from seeking proper medical care, delaying diagnoses, and worsening health conditions. The false sense of security from the 'natural' or 'ancestral' nature of the remedies may cause people to avoid professional medical treatment.
Index analysis
Anvisa identified that the marketing strategy exploits the perception of home remedies and natural solutions as safe alternatives, combined with deceptive practices using AI-generated faces and false celebrity endorsements to drive purchases.
Governance controls
Anvisa issued a public alert communicating the risks of purchasing these ebooks and cautioning the population about the dangers of following 'miraculous' recipes sold by fictional AI-generated characters.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.