- Hyper-realistic virtual influencers created by AI are disrupting the multi-billion dollar human influencer economy, worrying real creators.
- Brands see clear benefits working with virtual influencers, like lower costs and more control, versus real influencers.
- Human influencers want stricter rules requiring AI disclosure from virtual counterparts stealing their livelihoods.
- Some researchers and human influencers criticize virtual creations for exploiting diversity and sexuality while lacking authenticity.
- Creators of AI influencers believe they’re simply disrupting an overvalued market, not meaningfully threatening jobs.
- Established virtual influencers like Lil Miquela earn big budgets from luxury brands who think AI can’t replicate quality storytelling.
Aitana Lopez is an artificially intelligent (AI) generated influencer with over 200,000 social media followers. She posts selfies and partners with brands like Olaplex and Victoria’s Secret, earning around $1,000 per sponsored post – despite not actually existing.
Aitana is one of hundreds of fictional “virtual influencers” created using AI tools that have entered the $21 billion creator economy. This has raised worries among human influencers that their income is being threatened by these digital rivals. Similar concerns exist in other professions about AI technology threatening jobs by generating humanlike content quickly.
However, the people behind the hyper-realistic AI avatars argue they are merely disrupting an overinflated market. “We were surprised by the high rates influencers charge today. That inspired us to just create our own,” said Diana Núñez, co-founder of Barcelona agency The Clueless, which made Aitana. “We unintentionally made a monster. A beautiful one, though.”
In recent years, luxury brands have partnered with virtual influencers. An Instagram ad analysis found an H&M ad with virtual influencer Kuki reached 11x more people and cut ad recall costs by 91% versus a traditional ad. Brands see virtual influencers as an attention-grabbing, cost-effective tactic with more control than real influencers.
But human influencers believe their AI counterparts should have to disclose they aren’t real. “It’s hard to tell they’re fake,” said influencer Danae Mercer. The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency said there’s no rule forcing AI disclosure, though India does require it. While The Clueless uses “#aimodel” to show Aitana is fake, many don’t clearly disclose AI origins.
Lil Miquela, one of the first virtual influencers, earns up to hundreds of thousands per deal with luxury brands. Her team argues the storytelling behind her character can’t be replicated by AI. They emphasize Lil Miquela feels real to her nearly 3 million cross-cultural followers. Meanwhile, The Clueless is developing a “curvy Mexican” virtual influencer named Laila.
Some researchers criticize racially ambiguous virtual influencers as a marketing ploy targeting broader audiences rather than meaningful diversity. And many virtual influencers are considered overly sexualized. The Clueless says its creations mirror real influencer norms, while human influencer Mercer argues virtual women profiting largely male AI creators exploits female sexuality.
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