Surgeon-Created Digital Twin: AI-Generated Video Avatars for Plastic Surgery Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a tool to augment plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) education. AI-generated videos (AIVs) are entirely or partially created using machine learning to generate frames, scenes, or sequences depicting either fictional or realistic footage. Deepfakes are AI-generated audiovisual content in which a real person's identity or likeness, such as their face, voice, or expressions are altered or synthesized to convincingly make it appear as though they said or did something they did not.While legitimate concerns exist regarding their authenticity, AIVs and deepfakes can disseminate information using a realistic human avatar with minimal time constraints. In this study, we demonstrate the ability of AI-simulated videos to deliver educational content using a board-certified PRS surgeon who trained the AI as the avatar. By leveraging AIV technology, this study highlights a new approach to patient education with implications for virtual consultation and content creation in PRS. This method also addresses the evolving role of information sharing and marketing in PRS while focusing on maintaining professional standards and ethical integrity.