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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/25/barbara-oneill-cancer-cure-promotion-ban-ai-ads-ntwnfb>
"Five years ago, Barbara O’Neill was permanently banned from providing any
health services in New South Wales or other Australian states.
O’Neill, whose website describes her as “an international speaker on natural
healing”, was found by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) in 2019
to have given highly risky health advice to vulnerable people, including the
use of bicarbonate soda as a cancer treatment.
Since then, her views have found a much larger audience overseas and online,
supported by elements of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church and US media
networks. So far this year, O’Neill has spoken in the US, the UK and Ireland
and advertised retreats in Thailand for thousands of dollars. A Facebook page
managed in her name is promoting plans for O’Neill to tour Australia later this
year despite the commission’s ruling.
But O’Neill’s story reveals not only the limits of a state health regulator.
Beyond her own promotional efforts, a vast scam economy has grown up that
profits from her notoriety without her authorisation.
Clips of O’Neill’s health teachings, often dating as far back as 2012, now feed
a voracious economy of unaffiliated Facebook pages and groups – more than 180
at one point – that are branded with her name and share lecture clips and
recipes but are outside the control of O’Neill. Many are controlled by accounts
based in Morocco, but attempts to contact administrators went unanswered.
Old clips of O’Neill are being used to sell herbal teas, Celtic salt and castor
oil on TikTok, as Vox found. AI-generated content of O’Neill on the app now
goes even further, making up entirely new claims about her and her health
advice.
Accounts on the app share generative AI images that falsely claim she
“disappeared” after revealing a certain mineral will help people live for 100
years or show O’Neill being “arrested” for sharing apparent methods of natural
healing such as black seed oil. The videos typically link to online stores or
even Amazon where, naturally, the product referred to is for sale. Questions to
account owners went unanswered.
It’s part of an emerging online ecosystem in which would-be digital creators in
search of easy money follow trending topics such as O’Neill’s health claims and
use generative AI to create eye-catching and often bizarre images on social
media – frequently sending viewers to online stores.
Jason Koebler, cofounder of
404 Media, has explored the “AI slop” economy on
Facebook. He suggests creators around the world are essentially “penetration
testing” social media platforms to circumvent moderation policies and make
money in new ways, building off content they know will capture attention.
So-called “wellness secrets” fit the bill.
“That’s been the biggest effect of the generative AI boom,” he says. “The
entire internet and social media platforms have been flooded with garbage.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
