The background music is sombre as a downcast brunette films herself eating fried chicken in her car, her messy backseat just visible in the background. Her acne is prominent, her body obscured by an oversized jumper. Text laid across the video reads: “POV [point of view]: You were never big boned”.
Then, suddenly – joy! A plethora of slender-waisted, glowing skin images snapped from inside the gym! Our girlie is walking through the city with an enviable tan, activewear hugging all the right places, the epitome of Western beauty goals! This time, the words read: “You were undisciplined”.
It’s a familiar arc, a makeover scene portrayed in many a noughties rom-com: female failure to look or act a certain way, followed by redemption and reward for meeting mind-numbing standards of thinness, sexuality and obedience, be it in the form of a man, money or both (ideally). Only this time, instead of a 90-minute runtime we’re seeing it compressed into 30 seconds or less – and we didn’t even actively buy a ticket to this particular movie.
‘Glow up’ and/or weight loss transformation content is rife across social media right now, leaning into the classic ‘New Year, New Me’ rhetoric pedalled by capitalism every January. Frictionless ‘befores’ and ‘afters’ speedily amass millions of views on our For You Pages, whether we like it or not… Only, as content creator and body confidence advocate, Danae Mercer, recently pointed out to her own followers, many of these videos are not real. These aspirational ‘women’ are AI-generated – and they’re having a serious impact on both our psyches and, potentially, bank balances.
“I absolutely did not realise they were AI at first,” Mercer tells Cosmopolitan UK, something doubly concerning given her niche involves debunking and dissecting online content related to worrying beauty ideals. “In fact, I liked the first two or three, since a lot of them were themed around women going through a hard time, like a break-up, and then coming out of it stronger and better.”
The algorithm quickly picked up on those interactions, Mercer notes, and began serving identikit videos at pace, which is what raised her suspicions regarding their authenticity. Multiple videos followed a similar pattern or story, and many of the 'afters' looked eerily similar to each other, she says. The human aspect of going on an emotional and physical transformation – the true blood, sweat and tears – was missing entirely.
Everyone's clicking on...
Look twice and it becomes clear that many of the accounts producing these transformation videos (and a shedload of ‘look at how great my life is now I’m thin and gorgeous!’ content) are newly-created and only share posts of this ilk – “all about being ugly, then being [idealistically] beautiful, to put it really bluntly,” Mercer notes. Many also have bio links to an OnlyFans page (again, made up of AI pictures and videos), or to ‘healthy’ supplements and workout programmes.
Some are transparent about being AI-generated and even encourage those who’ve stumbled across their page to create their own AI avatar in order to ‘make money while they sleep’ by building a brand fronted by a non-existent model (visible abs and uniformly straight teeth included). Why bother working hard or putting yourself out there, they implore, when you could just pay £102 for an AI marketing course and get an AI girlie to do it for you, which will definitely, definitely make you a millionaire? Probably?
“When I started checking out the captions, [I realised they were all] similar, generic one liners like 'baby gonna glow' or 'would u love me?’,” Mercer adds, highlighting that often the accounts follow one another, too. “[It was] just AI-slop.”
When Cosmopolitan UK dug further into this, it was evident that some of these AI ‘interacted’ with one another too, leaving comments asking ‘How did you get your skin to clear up?’ to add another layer of believability – and further promote some kind of miracle blemish-busting remedy.
“That's what's so concerning to me. They're absolutely being made to sell products by preying on women’s insecurities,” Mercer reflects. “I wouldn't be surprised if there's a handful of men behind hundreds of these accounts.”
This video is AI-generated:
But these accounts aren’t just worrying because they’re claiming to generate mass income through inauthentic advertising – they’re once again tapping into the deeply toxic idea that female bodies are problems to be solved, and that failure to ‘fix’ your skin/weight issues is a moral flaw. One that contributes directly to your wealth and happiness (something that’s all very reminiscent of Andrew Tate’s ill-fated Hustlers University courses that target insecure young men).
Even if you’re an AI woman, it seems, there’s no break from inane real-world expectations. So, how can we wise up and spot the slop, so that we’re not constantly absorbing this dangerous messaging without being fully conscious of it?
How to spot the signs
Serial entrepreneur, James Buckley-Thorp, with a long-running interest in backing AI-powered businesses, agrees it’s becoming harder than ever. Signals that would’ve been a dead giveaway a few months ago, such as subtle extra fingers or misshapen teeth, are no longer reliable.
The danger no longer lies in obvious technical errors, he says, but in how convincingly these accounts can replicate human emotions and behaviours. “Instead of hunting for glitches, look for things that feel off,” Buckley-Thorp advises. “Emotions that land a beat too late. Faces that look a little too smooth under changing light. Reflections in glasses, jewellery, or eyes that do not quite behave naturally. Listen closely too; AI voices can sound convincing, but often lack real breath, warmth, or emotional variation.”
This shift, which sees the user having to play detective while wading through a sea of shite (something that has been labelled the ‘enshittification’ of platforms like Instagram, TikTok and co, which are increasingly being bogged down by ultra-processed content), is yet another nail in the coffin for social media. It’s likely a big factor as to why our time spent on these apps has been steadily declining since 2022, while digital detoxes and Janalogue (logging off for January) have millennials and Gen Z in a chokehold for 2026.
Looking at an account holistically, beyond a single post that crops up on your feed, is also recommended if you’re keen to power through with sloppy social sites. Does this seemingly perfect person have any tagged photos with friends, ideally dating back to years prior to the AI explosion? Does the content feel hyper-polished or purely designed to be consumed, rather than shared? Do they just feel like, well, a bland robot?
“When a video asks only for your attention, not your participation, it’s worth asking why,” Buckley-Thorp points out. “Still, AI transformation videos aren’t just eye candy, they’re fast becoming one of the smartest selling tools on social media.
“AI influencers are thriving because they offer aspiration without real-world mess. The formula is simple: stop the scroll with a dramatic glow-up or serene persona, build emotional trust, then quietly monetise. The product often isn’t obvious at first [it can be] an eBook, a fitness plan, or a paid community. It doesn’t feel like an ad, which is why it works.”
And what is seeing this endless stream of polished content – which is subtly reinforcing the belief that our own efforts aren’t ‘good enough’ and trying to sell us the solution – doing to our mental health? According to Natalie Mason, a Psychology Lecturer at Arden University, nothing good – especially for young women and girls.
“The rise of fake AI transformation videos is creating a new wave of challenges for our self-esteem and confidence,” she tells Cosmopolitan UK. “While they may seem inspiring at first glance, these videos can set unrealistic expectations, especially when it comes to how we view our own appearance.”
Our brains are hardwired to compare ourselves to others, Mason explains, “it’s an evolutionary trait designed to help us monitor our social standing and sense of belonging.
“But in today’s world, where we’re constantly bombarded with ‘before and after’ transformation videos and curated social media feeds, this natural tendency can backfire. Given AI [is] creating results that are completely unattainable, the impact on our self-esteem can be even more damaging. Also, the social media algorithm works by showing you more of the videos if you spend longer engaging with them, which can cause a downward spiral for self-esteem and confidence.”
Mason advises making a conscious effort to replace doom scrolling with activities that nurture your wellbeing. “Arden University’s research found that 35% of people say taking care of their mental health is one of the best ways to boost confidence. Whether it’s journalling, meditating or simply taking a break from your phone, these small acts of self-care can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself.
“Setting screen time limits can also be helpful to leave the cycle of doom scrolling and move on to a more beneficial activity.” And remember that real growth happens in tiny, consistent steps, Mason adds, “not in dramatic, overnight transformations”.
In all likelihood, this boom of AI transformation content is only set to grow and will probably only further invade your feed – and while it may feel novel, sadly the idea of flogging female shame is not.
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* The lead image of this article is not AI-generated, but designed to represent the weight loss and gym-coded content discussed in this piece
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
