The Australian Medical Association is urging the federal government to strengthen protections against AI-generated deepfakes that impersonate doctors and promote potentially unsafe health information online.
The call comes ahead of Scams Awareness Week, with the AMA writing to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to push for faster action on the government’s proposed Digital Duty of Care and stronger safeguards for AI-generated content.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said deceptive videos and other synthetic content featuring trusted health professionals could make it harder for Australians to distinguish legitimate medical advice from misleading claims.
“Deepfake campaigns that misrepresent trusted clinicians can undermine evidence-based care, spread misinformation about prescription medicines, and encourage consumers to abandon clinically validated therapies in favour of unproven alternatives,” Dr McMullen said.
The AMA says doctors whose identities are misused should not have to carry the burden of identifying deceptive material, reporting it and pursuing its removal from online platforms.
The association is calling for AI providers and digital platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm from their services. Its proposed safeguards include stronger transparency requirements, protections against unauthorised synthetic content and faster processes for removing harmful deepfakes.
The AMA first raised the issue with Communications Minister Anika Wells in June 2025. Its recommendations include requiring anyone promoting a medical product or service online to provide a publicly accessible contact point, along with an easy-to-use reporting system for fake, misleading or AI-generated material.
It is also seeking mechanisms for Australians to opt out of unsolicited medical advertising and time limits requiring platforms to remove harmful content after a complaint is made. The AMA wants enforcement powers, including the ability to issue infringement notices where platforms fail to comply.
The renewed call comes as the federal government develops its broader approach to AI regulation. The government has committed to legislating a Digital Duty of Care that would place greater responsibility on technology companies to make their services safer and take steps to prevent online harms.
The government established the Office of AI within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in July 2026 as part of its wider AI policy framework. It has said the office will help coordinate implementation of national AI standards, while broader regulatory measures are being developed.
Existing Australian laws can already apply to some forms of harmful or misleading AI-generated material. Government guidance notes that consumer law may cover misleading representations involving AI, while privacy, negligence, criminal, defamation and online safety laws can apply depending on the circumstances.
The AMA has previously warned that the growing use of AI in healthcare brings both opportunities and risks, arguing that clinical oversight, patient safety and accountability need to remain central as the technology develops.
For the medical profession, the concern is that convincing impersonations can give false claims an appearance of authority. The AMA says clearer responsibilities for platforms and AI providers would help reduce the burden on individual doctors while giving patients greater protection from deceptive health information online.
Dr McMullen said the government should move quickly on regulations that address the risks posed by deepfakes while maintaining public confidence in reliable medical information.
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