Have you seen Dr. Chen Zhiming on YouTube? AI fake doctors spreading rumors, Ministry of Health and Welfare: has violated the Medical Practitioners Act

YouTube appears with AI fake doctor Chen Zhiming spreading diabetes rumors. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has determined that this behavior violates the Medical Practitioners Act and is drafting a virtual identity disclosure mechanism.

AI-generated fake doctor “Chen Zhiming” spreading rumors on YouTube

Have your elderly family members ever come across a YouTube channel video called Dr. Chen Zhiming? This channel, with over 20,000 subscribers, often shares health education knowledge, but after fact-checking by the Fact-Checking Center, it turns out that the doctor in the videos, Dr. Chen Zhiming, is actually an AI-generated fake doctor!

From the video footage on Dr. Chen Zhiming’s YouTube channel, it can be seen that the stethoscope’s construction differs from real equipment, and the sound is synthesized by text-to-speech systems, with pronunciation errors in numbers that are unnatural for humans.

Image source: YouTube AI-generated fake doctor “Chen Zhiming” spreading rumors on YouTube

One of the videos claims that research from Taipei Veterans General Hospital found that the main cause of diabetes stems from gut bacteria imbalance, and states that some patients have miraculously recovered after receiving bacterial therapy at NTU Hospital and specific probiotic supplements.

Taipei Veterans General Hospital and NTU Hospital clarified that, there is no doctor named Chen Zhiming in their institutions, nor have they published any groundbreaking research suggesting bacteria cause diabetes. Current standard diabetes treatments do not include bacterial therapy.

Ministry of Health and Welfare: Fake doctors spreading false information violate the Medical Practitioners Act

Regarding the chaos caused by AI fake doctors spreading false medical information, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has intervened.

Minister Shih Chong-liang told Central News Agency that this Dr. Chen Zhiming, who spreads medical knowledge under the guise of a doctor on the channel, has violated relevant regulations of the Medical Practitioners Act and the Medical Care Act.

The Medical Practitioners Act stipulates that those without a medical license cannot use the title of doctor; violators may be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000. If the advertisement implying medical services is published outside medical institutions, the maximum fine is NT$250,000.

Deputy Minister Lin Jing-yi also pointed out that as AI virtual characters opening channels becomes a trend, managing the quality of such virtual doctors and safeguarding the public’s rights hinges on clarifying whether the behind-the-scenes creators hold medical licenses.

Lin Jing-yi believes that if the behind-the-scenes operator is a licensed doctor, they must bear corresponding professional responsibilities. If the operator lacks medical qualifications but creates a virtual identity and falsely claims to be a doctor to publish professional opinions, this involves the application of the Medical Practitioners Act.

Interestingly, perhaps out of fear of legal sanctions, the Dr. Chen Zhiming channel has quietly renamed itself to “Longevity and Health Guide” and has taken down all videos.

Image source: YouTube Perhaps out of fear of legal sanctions, the Dr. Chen Zhiming channel has quietly renamed itself to “Longevity and Health Guide” and has taken down all videos.

Ministry of Health and Welfare drafts regulation for virtual doctors, aims to promote identity disclosure mechanisms

Not only Dr. Chen Zhiming, but recently YouTube has also seen health channels like “Fountain of Wisdom,” which are operated by AI fake doctors spreading false health information.

In response, Lin Jing-yi stated that the Ministry of Health and Welfare will clarify as soon as possible whether the Medical Practitioners Act applies to virtual doctors. She also mentioned that there are relevant management cases abroad, such as channels operated by American doctors on YouTube, where they clearly disclose their licensed practice status in the description when discussing medical behaviors or health topics.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare hopes to cooperate with the Ministry of Digital Development and YouTube to require Taiwanese doctor channels to follow suit, establishing a legitimate doctor identity disclosure mechanism.

Recently, Taiwan also passed the “AI Basic Law,” one of whose principles is “transparency and explainability.”

In the face of highly realistic AI fake videos, the government needs to safeguard the public, ensuring that when receiving medical information, people can clearly identify the source’s credibility, avoiding being misled by AI-generated false content and delaying treatment.

Further reading:
Taiwan passes AI Basic Law! What to do if AI causes unemployment? How to regulate AI scams? Key points of the law at a glance