For years, influencers have controlled social media, establishing trends and influencing the purchasing decisions of their followers by the material they share, eventually creating a $20 billion industry. And with the emergence of a new player—the AI influencer—the environment is changing swiftly.
When she’s not talking about what it’s like to be a young robot living in Los Angeles, Lil Miquela, one of the most well-known Youtube AI influencer, is promoting progressive ideas and has starred in advertisements for fashion brands like Givenchy and Chanel. Another is Lu of Magalu, a product of the Brazilian big-box shop Magazine Luiza, who has her own YouTube channel and collaborates with well-known companies like Samsung and Adidas.
These AI influencers are revolutionizing the production, consumption, and marketing of information by erasing boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. They are cutting-edge technologies that companies can employ to better engage with consumers in an increasingly crowded social media arena, as their millions of followers interact with their content and buy the items they endorse.
Which AI Influencers Are They?
Artificial intelligence (AI) influencers are basically the digital equivalent of real-life social media influencers. They share photos, dance, go to events, comment on current affairs, and even argue in public with one another as a way of interacting with the world in the first person. Some have even started hosting their own podcasts and releasing their own songs.
AI influencers may be anything from lifelike pictures like Aitana Lopez to cartoonish 3D figures like noonoouri. These digital identities, which are usually managed by a team of people with the aim of obtaining brand partnerships, are made utilizing computer-generated imagery (CGI), motion capture technologies, generative AI, and other types of artificial intelligence.
Although their looks, personality, and content have been deliberately crafted to appeal to a certain audience, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who have grown up with social media and spend a significant portion of their lives on it, they appear and act like actual people do online.
“This next generation of people who are already living in a digital world are finding virtual influencers appealing,” Ridhima Ahuja Kahn, VP of business development and partnership at Web3 developer Dapper Labs, told Built In. “Whether someone is genuine or not appears to matter less to them. Which personality truly appeals to them the most is more significant.
How Are AI Influencers Operational?
Every AI influencer is unique. Some are built with a basic picture generator, while others are made with advanced computer-generated imagery and photo-editing programs. While some employ AI to connect with their followers directly in real-time and learn from those exchanges to be more engaging in the future, others have human people write each Instagram caption.
“The process of maintaining success as an AI influencer is fairly similar to that of a human influencer, regardless of the technology used to create them,” Bringé said. They develop a character that followers and brands can identify with, including fundamental beliefs, objectives, and a sense of humor. Additionally, they establish credibility by regularly publishing a large amount of information and disseminating it across various social media channels according on its structure and intent.
Bringé stated that the most prosperous influencers have a group of individuals that support their persona by coming up with ideas, pitching initiatives, and ensuring their success. “After that, everyone is paid.”
AI influencers serve as a hybrid of a spokesmodel and mascot, promoting items on their own social media accounts or through advertisements on the businesses’ channels. Additionally, brands are creating their own AI influencers, allowing them to precisely tailor the look, behavior, and voice of these digital ambassadors.
The AI influencer market is currently reaching new heights thanks to the quick developments in generative AI. Making a fully functional digital identity has never been simpler because to the ability to quickly produce original text, graphics, music, and even films. Additionally, new content is posted on social media every day.
Are Human Influencers Going to Be Replaced by AI Influencers?
AI influencers are most likely here to stay, whether you like them or not. However, their interaction with human influences appears to be better suited for cohabitation than complete replacement, at least for the time being. Artificial intelligence is not sentient, despite its exceptional ability to replicate human emotion, comedy, and creativity. It is unable to relate to or connect with people in the same way that a genuine person can.
According to Santer, human influencers will continue to be distinguished from their digital counterparts by their distinctively human capacity for empathy, adaptation, and comprehension of the actual world. “The technology itself will not be able to replace the human experience.”