‘You’re taking my community and using it to sell something that doesn’t work’
A British doctor has spoken out after claiming an Instagram page used AI to turn her into a totally different person to flog hair products. Dr Nicole James claims that clips from her real socials were lifted, tweaked and reposted so it looked like an older, American version of her was handing out advice.
She shares dermatology and haircare tips aimed at the Black community and says the whole thing felt like stepping into a creepy sci‑fi nightmare. Dr Nicole James – who trained in the UK and now lives in Chicago – says the bogus account racked up huge numbers fast, pulling in more than 20,000 followers and even clocking up a million views on one post.
She claims the videos keep her words and the setting, but slap on an extra salesy line at the end, pushing specific hair oil via an Amazon link. The page, she says, is piggybacking on trust she’s spent years building.
She says a follower spotted the account around two weeks ago, and at first glance, she didn’t even recognise herself. She said: “It’s absolutely dystopian and I’m furious.
“I clicked on the video, and at first I thought it wasn’t me, but as the video went on, I realised it’s word-for-word. I look at the background and it’s in my room in my apartment in Chicago where I film my videos.
“When I look closer, I’ve seen that they’ve taken my face and aged me by about 20 years. It looks like my mum.
“At first it was almost so ridiculous that I found it funny. It was unbelievable, almost a bit laughable at first, but when I rewatched it and looked at the page and saw multiple videos that they’ve done that with, and I was furious.
“I found it extraordinarily dystopian. She’s using my words and medical recommendations, but in the end, she recommends this oil that links to this Amazon company.”
Nicole feels like the account is “already targeting the community” she has built up over three years with real trust. She said: “I’ve been to medical school, I’ve earned that trust.
“You’re taking my community and using it to sell something that doesn’t work.” Nicole claims she and her followers reported the page, but says nothing changed and she has had no luck getting answers from whoever runs it.
Now specialising further in dermatology in the US, Nicole is due to join Stanford University next month as a research fellow. She says “medfluencers” can be helpful, but warns the same attention and credibility can be hijacked by AI impersonators looking to cash in.
Her big fear is that the tech will soon get so sharp that people won’t be able to tell the real from the fake, and the trust she’s earned could be trashed overnight.
Currently, there are no laws in place to prevent people from using AI to replicate someone’s likeness, and the few existing protections are extremely difficult to enforce. This has also led to consent problems as pornographic images and videos are being created using people’s likenesses without their permission.
Nicole did report the account for stealing her intellectual property, but no action was taken. The firm and Instagram account have been contacted for comment.
How to tell if a video has AI red flags
- Face and voice not quite right: Lip-sync slightly off, ‘too-perfect’ audio, odd pauses, or a sudden accent change.
- Uncanny-looking eyes and skin: Weird blinking, glassy stare, or skin/age/texture flickering between frames.
- Glitches around the edges: Hairlines, teeth, glasses, earrings or beards shimmering, smearing or warping as they move.
- Tell-tale hands + background: Wonky fingers, bending thumbs, plus backgrounds that ripple, bend or pop in and out.
- Dodgy sales tack-on: Helpful advice followed by a random “buy this now” line or link that feels bolted on.
- Do a quick legitimacy check: Look at account history and handle changes, and compare with the real creator before sharing.