Fact check: How AI is selling you weight loss - DW.com

A viral TikTok weight-loss journey that appeared to be an authentic personal transformation has been exposed as a coordinated series of AI-generated advertisements. Researchers at DW Fact Check discovered that multiple accounts were utilizing identical footage of bodies in motion, but overlaying them with different faces to create the illusion of various successful users.

What happened

The investigation revealed a sophisticated campaign involving at least 11 TikTok accounts that were all directing traffic toward a weight-loss application called Her75. By comparing the footage across these accounts, analysts identified that the physical bodies and specific movements were consistent across different videos, despite the faces appearing distinct. These accounts used a combination of bios, comments, hashtags, and video context to funnel users to the app. Some of the videos generated millions of views by presenting these fabricated transformations as real personal journeys. The findings highlight how AI-generated personas are being deployed to create deceptive marketing content on social media platforms, blurring the line between authentic user experiences and manufactured promotional material.