Deepfake doctors put GPs on the frontline - Medical Republic
Australian medical professionals are battling a surge in AI-generated deepfakes used to promote fraudulent health products and spread dangerous medical…
- Incident date
- Aug 2026
- Target
- Dr. Danielle McMullen, Dr. Norman Swan, and Professor Jonathan Shaw
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is escalating its campaign against AI-generated deepfakes that impersonate trusted doctors to sell unapproved supplements and spread medical misinformation. Prominent figures including AMA president Dr. Danielle McMullen, Dr. Norman Swan, and Professor Jonathan Shaw have been targeted in campaigns that threaten to erode public trust in evidence-based healthcare.
What happened
Scammers have leveraged deepfake technology to create videos featuring the likenesses of well-known clinicians to promote fraudulent products. Dr. Norman Swan has been the subject of impersonation for nearly two years, with deepfakes appearing to endorse weight-loss supplements such as Glyco Balance and Keto Flow + ACV, while simultaneously advising patients to cease taking metformin for type 2 diabetes. Similarly, endocrinologist Professor Jonathan Shaw was featured in fake videos where he was depicted insulting doctors who prescribe metformin while promoting the same supplements.
Dr. Danielle McMullen discovered a fake social media profile impersonating her, which remains active despite her attempts to have it removed. The AMA has called for a robust regulatory framework, including a centralized portal for reporting AI-generated content, mandatory ID verification for entities promoting medical products, and stricter accountability for social media platforms. While the government established the Office of AI in July 2026, the AMA argues that current enforcement mechanisms are insufficient to keep pace with the technology.
Beyond the financial fraud, the misinformation has real-world consequences for primary care. General practitioners are increasingly forced to manage the downstream effects, such as patients abandoning validated therapies or believing false claims about common medications like semaglutide. Experts note that social media algorithms allow scammers to target vulnerable patients far more effectively than legitimate medical advice can reach them, leaving GPs to perform the difficult work of debunking sophisticated AI-generated content during consultations.