Some of the most popular people on social media aren’t people at all, but the digital handiwork of artificial intelligence — and after years in the making, the rising tide of AI influencers is poised to shake up social commerce and reshape the creator economy into an economy of AI creations.
As it is, the standouts pull in huge Instagram fan bases, such as Rozy (with 172,000 followers), Shudu (239,000), Imma (389,000), Lil Miquela (2.5 million) and Magazine Luiza’s Lu do Magalu (7.1 million), among others. But many of those characters sport a glossy, almost plastic-like sheen that’s a dead giveaway of their digital origins.
Brands, from fashion designers to carmakers, have been racing to capitalize on these creations. But now breakthroughs in AI are ushering in a new breed of virtual influencers that are more convincing than ever — like Aitana Lopez.
Created by Barcelona-based AI modeling agency The Clueless, Lopez arrived earlier this year as Spain’s first AI fashion model and virtual influencer. Today, she has 326,000 Instagram followers, thanks to a style and vibe that makes her practically indistinguishable from the real thing. That’s an impressive feat of believability, considering the fictional 25-year-old’s ethereal looks and proportionally fantastical physical dimensions.
They’re now circulating within a bustling business estimated to be worth half a trillion dollars in the next few years. Goldman Sachs pegged that the creator economy could hit $480 billion by 2027, and brand partnerships are powering the vast majority of that revenue, to the tune of roughly 70 percent.
How much of that will be driven by AI influencers is hard to discern, especially as the technology improves at a rapid clip. It’s also not entirely clear whether these new and improved fictional characters are actually moving more people to buy things.
According to Statista, some consumers were persuadable, at least as of a few years ago. A survey in the U.S. from March 2022 showed that 35 percent of participants said they were likely to purchase a product or service touted by virtual influencers. Now, with its forecast that the AI influencer market will approach $6.95 billion this year, it’s an open question whether more consumers will be open to it.
That leaves most conversations about AI influencers focusing on marketing, not sales. And on that score, it’s clear that brands and agencies see plenty of value, stoking a flurry of deals — Aitana Lopez only arrived this year, but already earns more than $11,000 per month — and evangelizing the tech to a broad array of businesses.
“AI influencers can consistently create content that showcases brand voice and brand image,” Ariel Sims, senior vice president of paid social for global marketing agency Digitas, told Shopify in a blog post for its community of more than 2 million merchants.
“Using an AI influencer may make more sense than using a human influencer in certain situations, such as when cost, control or niche targeting are critical factors.”
This may be particularly meaningful for fashion. The Statista study also found that more female consumers engage with content from these virtual personas, at 65.5 percent, than their human counterparts.
Of course, not everyone is excited. Brands may be enthusiastic, but human influencers seem split on the topic, with some viewing the AI characters as a way to earn more money with less effort. Others have a distinctly more dystopian view.
Affiliate marketing platform BrandCycle is clocking those concerns, as it currently conducts its annual creator survey. In an early tidbit from the report, shared with WWD, respondents weighed in on the biggest challenges facing their businesses today. Fifteen percent said they were worried about the rise of AI, and 43 percent specifically cited competition with other influencers.
For Erin Gagnon, general manager at BrandCycle, the results reveal “nuanced dynamics” between humans and AI, highlighting the challenges posed by the rise of virtual influencers.
“Competing with these new AI influencers is no small feat, yet [human] influencers can stay ahead by offering what AI cannot — authenticity, trust and a genuine community connection.”
