Screenshots of AI-generated doctors Source: TikTok
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Health is a significant topic of discussion on social media, which has led to an increase in the number of health content creators in the space.
People increasingly resort to the internet and social media platforms to seek health advice, find a cure for a health problem, and generally seek tips for leading an overall healthy lifestyle.
However, with the advent of artificial intelligence, greater caution must be exercised when navigating these platforms.
Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly revolutionised human interactions. While this advancement boasts many commendable features, such as automation, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making, it raises significant ethical and safety concerns in several sectors, including health.
In recent times, several videos have flooded TikTok showing both male and female “coochie doctors,” with most of them claiming to have over “10 to 20 years of experience”.
What you should know about “coochie doctors”
“Coochie doctors” is a term often used on social media to refer to self-proclaimed health experts, typically unverified individuals, who give advice on vaginal health, reproductive care, and beauty treatments. These so-called “doctors” frequently promote home remedies and questionable wellness tips, such as using fruits, herbs, or DIY treatments to alter vaginal pH, eliminate odour, or enhance sexual health.
Many of these claims are unscientific, lacking medical evidence, and can sometimes be misleading or even harmful. Legitimate gynaecologists and medical professionals often warn against following such advice without proper research or consultation with qualified healthcare providers.
Despite the warnings, coochie doctors are on the rise on social media, particularly TikTok. These ‘doctors’ advise other social media users, especially women, to follow certain tips to maintain good vagina health.
Checks by DUBAWA showed that while the faces in the videos vary, the advice remains the same. The so-called experts suggest that women rub fig seeds on their breasts to make them perkier, submerge their faces in ice water to reduce chubby cheeks and define cheekbones, use lemon balm for weight loss, and consume pineapple to balance pH levels and eliminate vaginal odour.
At other times, the ‘doctors’ claim to have been caring for breasts for 22 years, advising users to consume pineapple and cucumber salad as a natural laxative, drink homemade dragon juice to convert fat into energy, and use lemon balm for various health benefits. The accounts can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Some of these videos have also been shared on YouTube, as seen here and here.
DUBAWA observed that at the end of the videos, there is an advert for a product that can be purchased on Amazon. Also, the ‘doctors’ usually require the followers to drop comments seeking knowledge of a certain recipe.
However, on closer inspection, DUBAWA observed that the videos are AI-generated content and have been created with the Captions App Mirage feature.
What is Captions Mirage?
Mirage by Captions is the first AI model designed to generate User-generated content. With a script in hand, the user creates original actors with natural expressions, body language, and backgrounds.
However, the actors are not real humans; instead, AI images are made to speak and express emotions like human beings. The model supports Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and about 30 other languages.
On its website, Captions explained that the Mirage feature is designed for ad content.
TikTok’s AI policy
TikTok describes AI-generated content as videos featuring a real person speaking whose image, voice, and/or words are altered or modified by AI; videos or images featuring a scene or event that occurred in the real world but has been altered or modified by AI; and videos or images of real or fictional people, places, and events that were entirely AI-generated.
The viral videos of ‘coochie’ or ‘boobies’ doctors fit into the above description as these videos were entirely AI-generated.
However, TikTok encourages creators to label content that has been either wholly generated or significantly edited by AI using the AIGC (AI Generated Content) label or by adding a clear caption, watermark, or sticker. This is to support authentic and transparent experiences for users on the platform.
DUBAWA’s findings showed that these videos did not use such labels or other provisions stipulated by TikTok to guide unsuspecting members.
