US Regulators Say AI-Generated Influencers Promoting Supplements Must Meet Same Truth Standards

A New York Times investigation identified hundreds of artificial‑intelligence‑generated virtual health and wellness personas that are being used on social‑media platforms to promote dietary supplements to U.S. consumers. Some of these AI‑generated characters are presented as doctors or other health professionals. The emergence of these AI‑driven promotional accounts has raised questions about the scope of advertising regulation in the United States. Phyllis H. Marcus, vice president of the National Advertising Division (NAD), stated that the same truth‑in‑advertising standards that apply to human spokespeople also apply to AI‑generated content. Regulators are therefore considering how existing advertising rules cover AI‑created influencers, emphasizing that the source of the message—whether a person or an AI entity—does not exempt it from compliance requirements. For full details, see the original article on KPA News.