SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH...But Also Entertaining

By, the way, we are now into October.  Something is going right. Sort of.  From Time magazine:

23 YEARS  

The U.S. withdrew its last military forces from Iraq on Wednesday, 23 years after the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The final troops left Erbil Air Base in the Kurdistan region, the Pentagon said.

Was this good news?  Yes, but.....

The age of Artificial Intelligence, AI, is upon us.  There is that matter of existential threat, but here are nine benefits.  

 AI is the branch of computer science dedicated to creating machines that are able to think like humans.

There are negatives aside from that existential threat matter.  Here is just one:  I read, Push Back:  Deepfake online heath scams.  Article begins with:

SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.

Ever stumble across statements like: 

Elon Musk Reveals The 15-Second Vicks Trick For Memory Loss and Dementia!

and

We invited Dr. Sanjay Gupta to reveal all the details of the 7-second honey ritual. He shared — for free — how to prepare this recipe at home, why it's so effective, and much more.

Returning to that article by Al Norman of the Greenfield Recorder:

In my social media reels from Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, I receive “sponsored” deepfake health care cures and “tricks” to reverse Alzheimer’s, shrink prostates, or repair blurred vision. It’s an endless screed of bogus health headlines featuring cultural icons like Anthony Fauci, Anderson Cooper, Bill Gates, Mehmet Oz, Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, and Denzel Washington. Most of these influencers are AI deepfakes.

These videos can spin on for 45 minutes, ending with a sales pitch for miracle pills — before stocks run out. What begins as a “baking soda and honey trick” turns into a list of ginseng extract, pink Himalayan salt, evergreen tree, and angelica extract. A “Blueberry Trick” promises a “natural cure for dementia and even Alzheimer’s.” A “warm water method” to regulate your blood sugar turns into a pitch to eliminate a parasite in your prostate, narrated by two doctors peddling pumpkin seed oil and Japanese saw palmetto. On a “privacy policy” page, one video sponsor offers this disclaimer: “It’s important to consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Individual results may vary and results are not guaranteed.”

Ever been trapped by some of the above?  Google AI says:

Fake Endorsements: Scammers use AI-cloned voices and faces of high-profile figures—like Elon Musk, Tom Hanks, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta—to trick people into believing there is a miraculous, hidden medical breakthrough. [1, 2, 3]

You should know that:

• Making a deepfake is not automatically illegal.
• Depends on content, consent, purpose, jurisdiction, etc.

• 
  Okay for most parody, satire, fiction and art.
• If determined to be illegal, the U.S. Take it Down Act (2025) still gives a platform the option to avoid prosecution by removing it within 48 hours.
• The EU AI Act, in force August 2026, requires most deepfakes to be labeled even when the content is lawful, with fines up to tens of millions of euros.
• Deepfake laws vary widely around the world.
• Bottomline, avoid being scammed, but if you mistakenly follow-up, consult a qualified lawyer for your situation.

The elderly are especially targeted.   From the American Association of Retired Persons.

• AARP indicates that the most-impersonated celebrity are, #1, MrBeast, and #2, Elon Musk.
• Elon Musk is the richest person in the world, so that's why?
• But why is MrBeast #1?
• His brand is built around massive cash and prize giveaways.
• Jimmy Donaldson, who is MrBeast, is the world's most-subscribed person on You Tube.
• He is trusted by children and teens.
• Often involve with philanthropy, lowering your natural guard.
• Is a billionaire.

• If you are personally contacted by famous people, beware.

However AI can also entertain.

• Here is a site you can use to create Barack Obama singing any song you wish.
• We all know that Donald Trump loves the Village People singing YMCA at his rallies.  Here is an AI-generated parody of he doing the entertaining.

• 
  Word leaders unite in AI-generated We Are The World.
• Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi featured in an AI-generated song, Land of Dawn.

• 
  Joe Biden and Frank Sinatra's My Way.
• AI-generated list of U.S. presidents.
• According to Google AI, Donald Trump himself posted on 17May2025 a surreal, AI-generation video performing Journey's Don't Stop Believin'.

• 
  Here is Journey's version.
• America's Got Talent 2024 champion, Richard Goodall, singing this song with members of Journey.

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