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The medbed fantasy

How a deepfake pushed a conspiracy into politics

Halina Bennet's avatar
Halina Bennet
Oct 03, 2025
∙ Paid
“Medbeds” are marketed as futuristic healing machines, though no such technology exists in real medicine. (Photo by U.C.G./Getty Images)

The “medbeds” conspiracy has circulated in fringe online communities for years, but an AI-generated deepfake of President Donald Trump promising a nationwide rollout pushed it into mainstream political conversation this…

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