FACT CHECK: Hypertension ‘cure’ ad used AI-edited news report
Claim: Broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad reports about a cure for hypertension on the TV5 news show Frontline Pilipinas.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video has 103,000 views and 1,300 reactions as of writing.
It shows Manicad seemingly reporting about a “revolutionary” cure for hypertension. This is followed by a clip of cardiologist and online health personality Dr. Willie Ong, popularly known as Doc Willie, purportedly discussing the benefits of the supposed cure.
AI-manipulated: The video of Manicad is AI-manipulated. Sensity, a web-based tool for detecting AI, found the video “suspicious” with a 99% confidence level.
Sensity noted that a high confidence level means that the content has “definite signals of AI generation or manipulation.” The Netherlands-based company also said that the minimum confidence for their detector is 50%.
According to Sensity’s analysis, lip sync technology is used in the video, making it seem like Manicad is reporting about the product.
Unrelated report: The ad used AI to manipulate a clip from Manicad’s report on the TV5 news show Frontline Pilipinas on September 16, 2024.
The ad spliced a clip from the original video, starting from the 23:26 to 23:41 timestamp.
In the original video, Manicad reported on Ong’s revelation that he was diagnosed with cancer.
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Battling cancer: On September 14, Ong also uploaded a YouTube video on his channel where he told his followers that he was undergoing treatment for a rare abdominal cancer. Ong said in a Facebook video that he first started experiencing “stabbing” pain in October 2023. (READ: Dr. Willie Ong diagnosed with cancer)
According to several GMA News reports, Ong is currently receiving treatment in Singapore.
Target of health scams: Rappler has published several fact-checks related to Ong. Many of the false claims imply his supposed endorsement of various health products, with the misleading ads using AI to manipulate videos taken from Ong’s official social media channels.
- FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong is alive
- FACT CHECK: Manipulated video cites Willie Ong ‘endorsement’ for hypertension ‘cure’
- FACT CHECK: Eyes Blue neither endorsed by Doc Willie Ong nor approved by FDA
- FACT CHECK: Ad uses deepfake video of Doc Willie Ong to promote voice and throat supplement
- FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong’s hypertension video ad is AI-manipulated
– Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com
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