Archive · 8 Oct 2026
NMC Bars AI-Fabricated Testimonials and Misleading Medical Advertising
India’s National Medical Commission has made new rules about how doctors and hospitals advertise.
The rules started as soon as they were issued on Wednesday.
Medical providers cannot use AI to invent patient stories, voices, treatment results or endorsements.
They also cannot make unsupported promises, fake reviews or misleading claims about their popularity.
Some paid promotions, patient-referral deals and offers that could encourage unnecessary visits are restricted.
Patient photos need consent and safeguards.
Breaking the rules can lead to warnings, training, fines or suspension, and repeated violations can lead to removal from the medical register.
Doctors can still share accurate health information, and hospitals can provide objective details about their services.
The National Medical Commission issued ethical advertising guidelines on Wednesday, effective immediately, covering registered doctors, hospitals and medical institutions.
The rules prohibit using AI to fabricate patient experiences, voices, clinical outcomes or endorsements, and bar deepfakes used to promote medical services.
Unverifiable claims such as “best doctor,” “guaranteed cure” and “100% success,” along with manipulated reviews, ratings, followers or search rankings, are prohibited.
The guidelines restrict paid patient-procurement arrangements, certain influencer endorsements and discounts or referral benefits likely to encourage unnecessary consultations; patient photos require consent and safeguards.
Penalties can escalate from a warning and ethics training to censure, fines, suspension or removal from the medical register; factual health education and objective service information remain allowed.
- Who
- The National Medical Commission issued the rules for registered medical practitioners, hospitals and medical institutions.
- What
- New ethical guidelines restrict misleading medical advertising, including AI-fabricated testimonials and outcomes.
- When
- Issued on Wednesday and effective immediately; the reports identify the date as October 8.
- Where
- India
- Why
- To curb misleading promotion and help patients make healthcare decisions using reliable information.
Permitted communication
Prohibited promotion
Health information and service details
Permitted communication
Doctors may share accurate, factual, non-promotional health education, and hospitals may provide objective information about their services.
Prohibited promotion
Communications must not become misleading self-promotion or use unverifiable claims to promote services.
Patient stories and treatment claims
Permitted communication
Patient photographs may be used when valid consent and appropriate safeguards are in place.
Prohibited promotion
Fabricated testimonials and outcomes, misleading success claims, and testimonials or before-and-after material likely to create unrealistic expectations are prohibited.
- Issuing body
- National Medical Commission (NMC)
- Effective date
- Immediately upon issuance on Wednesday
- Covered parties
- Registered medical practitioners, hospitals and medical institutions
- AI content prohibited
- Fabricated patient experiences, voices, clinical outcomes and endorsements
- First violation
- Warning and mandatory ethics training
- Second violation
- Censure and a monetary penalty may apply
- Third violation
- Suspension of medical registration for three to six months may apply
- Further penalties
- Serious violations may bring six to 12 months’ suspension; repeated violations may result in removal from the register for one to three years
