Fact Check: Viral Video of Senior Diabetologist Claiming to Cure Diabetes in 48 Hours Is Fake
Chennai: The viral video featuring a person who resembles senior diabetologist Dr V Mohan and claims that a drug can cure diabetes in less than 48 hours is fake.
Dr. Mohan has flagged the video as 'fake' highlighting how such social media clips generated by artificial intelligence (AI) can affect the healthcare system.
The Claim:
The video, which became viral, was posted on the Facebook pages of the Tirunelveli chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). In the video clip, a person resembling Dr Mohan can be seen speaking in Hindi. It has been claimed in the video that there exists a drug that can cure diabetes within 48 hours.
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Fact Check:
Pointing out that the viral video is fake, Dr. Mohan mentioned that he never learned Hindi, the language that is being spoken in the clip. As per the latest media report by the Times of India, the viral advertisement combined a real video of Dr. Mohan with an altered version of his voice, which according to the experts was generated with the help of AI.
TOI adds that Dr. Mohan had complained about this video back in November 2023 before the cyber security cell of Tamil Nadu police. Thereafter the officials had removed the video.
However, the doctor has alleged that the video is back again. Commenting on the matter, he told TOI, "The voice sounds so much like me but the lip sync is bad. I have posted a message saying it is fake, yet many people I know including my own patients have asked me if I can prescribe the drug for them."
"Diabetes remission is possible. But that’s with medicines, diet, and exercise. No other magical remedy is possible," Dr. Mohan further clarified.
Meanwhile, referring to the issue, doctors' associations have claimed that such fake videos are increasing and in some cases, there are no real doctors. Instead of real doctors, these fake videos, mostly generated by AI, feature people in white coats or scrubs. Such videos claim how chiaseeds can bring down blood sugar levels or how "difficult-totreat" brain diseases can be cured by almonds with sugar candy and fennel mixed milk or how magical pills made from plant cells can trigger weight loss.
Speaking to TOI, the President of IMA-Tamil Nadu Dr. KM Abdul Hasan said, "These fakes are cheaper and easier to create now thanks to AI. Now, there are tools to create them easily even on smartphone apps, often free of cost. But such fake messages are a dangerous public health hazard. There are speechcloning tools that can be trained to replicate voices in seconds."
"While we will write to govt seeking prompt and stringent action, we also feel it’s time to create awareness among doctors and patients about these," he further added. IMA will soon arrange a meeting in Chennai on the matter.
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