Anvisa warns of AI-generated health gurus on social media

Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has issued a warning regarding the rise of AI-generated personas, such as “gurus,” “sages,” and “shamans,” on social media. These fictitious characters promote unverified medical recipes and treatments, often claiming to possess secret or ancestral knowledge to sell digital books.

Anvisa noted that these profiles use deceptive tactics, including fabricated testimonials and claims that celebrities have purchased their materials, to attract followers. One cited example involves a profile with over 600,000 followers using an AI-generated indigenous woman to promise health recoveries within seven days. The agency warned that such content poses significant health risks, as users may delay seeking professional medical diagnosis and treatment in favor of these unproven natural solutions.