AI-Generated Video Falsely Attributes Hypertension Cure Endorsements to Nigerian Celebrities
Fact-checkers found that an AI-generated video falsely depicted Nigerian actor Taiwo Ajai-Lycett and doctor Chinonso Egemba endorsing a non-existent hypertension cure product. The video, viewed over 98,000 times on Facebook, used synthetic voice technology and showed other signs of AI generation.
What happened
A video circulating on Facebook shows Nigerian actor and journalist Taiwo Ajai-Lycett and medical doctor Chinonso Egemba (known as Aproko Doctor) appearing to endorse a hypertension cure product. The video depicts Ajai-Lycett claiming that a treatment developed by Egemba cured her of hypertension and stroke after conventional medical treatment failed. The video had been viewed over 98,000 times on Facebook.
Reported impact
The video's false claims could mislead people with hypertension into rejecting evidence-based pharmaceutical treatments. According to fact-checkers, no such hypertension cure product exists.
Index analysis
Fact-checkers identified the video as AI-generated based on machine-sounding voices distinct from the celebrities' natural voices, unnatural speech pauses, and mouth movements out of sync with the audio. This is reportedly not the first time Egemba's image has been used to promote false products.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.