Virtual Influencers: AI-Generated Models Challenge Human Influencers with Pink Hair and Economical Advantages
A Barcelona-based company, The Clueless, has created an AI-generated Instagram influencer named Aitana Lopez, who boasts over 300,000 followers.
Aitana, who is described as a "gamer at heart" and "fitness lover," is not real but poses in lingerie, swimsuits, and gym outfits.
The Clueless, which calls itself an "AI modeling agency," was founded to address the rising costs of human influencers.
Aitana and other AI-generated influencers from The Clueless are competing with human influencers on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Virtual models, represented by Novales, offer economic advantages and complete creative control for image, fashion, and aesthetics without the need for physical photoshoots.
The rise of AI has brought concerns about deepfake content, with Meta planning to label AI-generated content starting in May. The influencer market is projected to grow significantly, reaching nearly $200 billion by 2032, and virtual influencers, such as Barbie, are increasingly used in advertisements, making it difficult to distinguish them from real people.
A California agency created Lil Miquela, a virtual 19-year-old robot influencer, in 2016.
With large followings on Instagram (2.6 million) and TikTok (3.5 million), Lil Miquela has promoted brands like BMW.
BMW saw it as an opportunity to create something new and attract a younger, tech-savvy audience.
Maud Lejeune, head of Paris-based digital strategy agency AD Crew, believes the public can accept AI influencers, comparing them to actors on TV. AD Crew represents over 30 influencers, and Lejeune created her own virtual influencer, Metagaya, two years ago.
However, she acknowledges that the design and creation process was challenging at the time.
AI technology is making it easier to create and operate realistic virtual influencers, as demonstrated by OpenAI's Sora video generator.
French influencer Charles Sterlings is using AI tools like HeyGen and Rask.ai to automatically translate and lip-sync his video posts into different languages.
He also uses Deepshot to manipulate real videos by changing words and mouth movements, which he sees as both a useful tool and a potential competitor.
Sterlings noted that anyone can become an influencer with a phone, but AI influencers will eventually be more cost-effective and available 24/7.
Maud Lejeune believes that AI can assist influencers in generating more content to help them avoid burnout.
On the other hand, The Clueless, an AI model, is not concerned about taking business away from real influencers.
According to Novales, AI models and human influencers can coexist as competitors in the industry.
The Clueless, which calls itself an "AI modeling agency," was founded to address the rising costs of human influencers.
Aitana and other AI-generated influencers from The Clueless are competing with human influencers on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Virtual models, represented by Novales, offer economic advantages and complete creative control for image, fashion, and aesthetics without the need for physical photoshoots.
The rise of AI has brought concerns about deepfake content, with Meta planning to label AI-generated content starting in May. The influencer market is projected to grow significantly, reaching nearly $200 billion by 2032, and virtual influencers, such as Barbie, are increasingly used in advertisements, making it difficult to distinguish them from real people.
A California agency created Lil Miquela, a virtual 19-year-old robot influencer, in 2016.
With large followings on Instagram (2.6 million) and TikTok (3.5 million), Lil Miquela has promoted brands like BMW.
BMW saw it as an opportunity to create something new and attract a younger, tech-savvy audience.
Maud Lejeune, head of Paris-based digital strategy agency AD Crew, believes the public can accept AI influencers, comparing them to actors on TV. AD Crew represents over 30 influencers, and Lejeune created her own virtual influencer, Metagaya, two years ago.
However, she acknowledges that the design and creation process was challenging at the time.
AI technology is making it easier to create and operate realistic virtual influencers, as demonstrated by OpenAI's Sora video generator.
French influencer Charles Sterlings is using AI tools like HeyGen and Rask.ai to automatically translate and lip-sync his video posts into different languages.
He also uses Deepshot to manipulate real videos by changing words and mouth movements, which he sees as both a useful tool and a potential competitor.
Sterlings noted that anyone can become an influencer with a phone, but AI influencers will eventually be more cost-effective and available 24/7.
Maud Lejeune believes that AI can assist influencers in generating more content to help them avoid burnout.
On the other hand, The Clueless, an AI model, is not concerned about taking business away from real influencers.
According to Novales, AI models and human influencers can coexist as competitors in the industry.
