Professor Sir Jim Mann’s likeness has been used in advertisements online encouraging people with type 2 diabetes to stop taking the medication Metformin and instead use alternative natural products.
A deep fake video was posted to the Facebook page ‘Smart Hemp Gummies’ using footage of Sir Jim, created to look and sound like a 1News clip.
His image and name were also used in a story promoting the product, ‘Glyco Balance’.
Sir Jim said he was was "extremely concerned" that people who trusted him may be misled by these advertisements "in a way that could adversely influence their health".
“I was disturbed to discover what could be done with AI. Of course, one hears of it happening to other people but not until it happened to me did I realise the extent to which the technology could distort the truth,” he says.
“I have lost count of the number of people who have contacted me and stopped me in the street asking me about this alleged new product.”
He said while some people had identified the video and story as a scam, many others had believed it and had even asked him where they could buy the product.
Sir Jim encouraged people to source reliable information from Diabetes New Zealand or recognised health professionals.
Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson said he was disappointed that Sir Jim, a leading authority on diabetes, was the target of a scam spreading misinformation.
“Sir Jim has dedicated his career to helping people. To have his reputation taken advantage of and his likeness used for nefarious purposes is highly distressing.”
The NZ Police and Netsafe websites contain information on scams, information about how to identify them, and where to report them.
- APL
