The line between what’s real and fake is becoming increasingly blurred, and one Oklahoma resident shares their concern over Medicare advertisements that are allegedly ‘completely AI-generated.’ “The voices sound fake too,” says BandFreak00, the Reddit user who posted a photo of one of these uncanny-looking ads on r/mildlyinfuriating. Since it’s targeting seniors and using AI to create testimonials, BandFreak00 claims “It feels predatory,” and hundreds of Redditors agree.
OP says the AI ad popped up while they were watching Discovery+; they said they’ve seen plenty of AI-generated slot ads as well. While predatory advertisements on older people are nothing new, using disturbingly believable testimonials to have them sign up for healthcare puts people’s concerns on another level.
“That’s terrible,” exclaims a commenter. “It’s crazy ads like these are allowed to run, they’re downright predatory,” says another user, pointing out how “seniors are so prone to being scammed by new tech they’re unfamiliar with.” A third suggests that AI-generated ads need more heavy regulation.
Many Commenters Claim AI Tesitmonials Could Count as ‘False Advertising’
Another argument a Redditor made is whether this sort of campaign could be flagged as false advertising since the people are being shown as ‘actual local recipients’ giving their testimonials. Though, others point out that paid actors or fake reviewers have always been problematic. “This is one step worse because they get to sidestep the ‘this is a paid endorsement’ notice they legally had to have on those,” claims a Redditor.
AI has been mainstream for some time now, and it doesn’t seem its controversial usage will slow down anytime soon. From companies making uncanny ads to the officials in the White House posting AI videos, it’s impossible to escape the widespread use of AI.
Similar to BandFreak00’s post, AI ads targeting seniors isn’t new, as almost half a year ago, a Redditor posted their concern about predatory AI ads on r/Scams. As one commenter puts it, these are “scary times, especially when they are trying to make you think a doctor is recommending the product.”
