AI-generated doctor videos spread false health advice on YouTube

A Yle verification team has identified 16 Finnish-language YouTube channels using AI-generated presenters to spread misleading health advice, amassing 4.3 million views.

One channel uses the name of real-life geriatrician Elina Heikkinen, a physician from Oulu, though the AI character bears no resemblance to her in appearance or voice. The fake “Dr. Elina Heikkinen” channel has published hundreds of videos, some claiming diabetes can be cured by drinking water or that bananas impair memory.

“It doesn’t feel good to have outright nonsense spread under my name,” the real Heikkinen said. She began receiving unusual lecture requests earlier this year, including invitations to speak on alternative treatments for Alzheimer’s and diabetes—conditions she noted cannot be cured with nutrition alone.

The channels primarily target older adults, with names like “Advice for the Elderly” and “Wellbeing in the Golden Years.” Some focus exclusively on issues like erectile dysfunction in aging men. Finland currently has over a million residents aged 70 or older.

Researcher Elina Uutela, who studies expertise and social media at the University of Helsinki, noted that the AI-generated videos differ from authentic medical content. “Real doctors are busy and film casually at home, while these AI doctors sit in polished offices with landmarks in the background,” she said.

YouTube permits generative AI content but requires disclosure when it appears photorealistic. After Yle’s inquiry, the platform added clarifying labels to some videos but did not remove the channels.