CRN calls for crackdown on AI supplement ads

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition is calling for stronger enforcement and greater transparency across digital marketplaces following an investigation into the use of AI-generated “doctors” to promote dietary supplements.

The New York Times investigation, “The Fake Influencers Selling Wellness on Your Feed,” detailed how marketers use artificial intelligence to create fictitious health experts who endorse supplements and make misleading claims.

CRN said the practices highlighted by the investigation should be treated as violations of existing law rather than as representative of the dietary supplement industry.

“Fraudulent marketing, fake health experts, and illegal disease claims are not features of the dietary supplement industry,” the association said in a statement. “They are clear violations of the law.”

According to CRN, artificial intelligence did not create deceptive supplement marketing, but it has made it easier for unscrupulous sellers to produce misleading content quickly and distribute it widely. The organization said these practices erode consumer trust and put responsible manufacturers that invest in scientific research, product quality, and regulatory compliance at a disadvantage.

CRN urged regulators and digital platforms to take stronger action against illegal health claims, remove deceptive sellers from online marketplaces, and provide consumers with more information to help them identify legitimate products.

The association also renewed its support for a mandatory dietary supplement product registry at the Food and Drug Administration, additional resources for enforcement by the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission, and greater accountability across the digital marketplace.

“The solution isn’t to paint an entire industry with the same brush,” CRN said. “It’s to strengthen enforcement against illegal claims, remove deceptive sellers from online marketplaces, and increase transparency so consumers can identify legitimate products.”

CRN added that responsible companies would benefit from greater transparency and a more level competitive environment.

“Consumers deserve truthful advertising,” the association said. “Responsible manufacturers deserve a level playing field. And those profiting from deception, whether through AI-generated influencers or otherwise, should face swift enforcement.”