Virtual influencers: the business behind artificial perfection
Los influencers generated by artificial intelligence They have ceased to be a taboo subject to become protagonists of a global phenomenon. With “perfect” profiles and lives designed to promote products, these digital avatars are increasingly occupying space on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok o YouTube. Its impact is growing to the point of starting to overcome human creators.
This boom not only generates concern about the future of influencers marketing, but also about the concept of reality in the digital environment And questions such as: Who is really behind the screen when we see a smiling face in networks? What is real and what not in a world dominated by technology? How far can artificial intelligence with these “false” influencers?
Emily Pellegrini: a “perfect” profile with thousands of followers
In this it was one of the most outstanding examples is Emily Pellegrinia virtual influencer that has more than 300,000 followers on Instagram. In his profile he presents himself as a young “fun” of Los Angeles who travels through Dubai, Santorini, Spain or Italy. Its content tries to publish photos on the beach, make yoga, dance in nightclubs and pose with coffees in design kitchens, but it really does not exist.
Emily was created by a man who operates under the pseudonym Professor EPfrom Dubai. On its website it promises to teach others to replicate their business model: “How I earned more than one million dollars without ever showing my face.” And the truth is that he claims to have entered more than 1.3 million dollars in 2024 With this character.
«With regard to software, it has already been reached an alarming level. With 20 or 30 images you can create an influencer that generates videos and images automatically, ”says EP.
Beyond collaborations with brands, the real business is in direct contact. Through platforms such as Fanvue (Similar to Onlyfans), users pay for chatting with Emily or accessing exclusive erotic content. “Many do not even know that it is not real,” its creator admits. In addition, he states that “awareness is extremely low.”
Artificial aesthetics created by men
The truth is that most of these Virtual avatars are women created by men. Meanwhile, many real influencers begin to question whether this type of content is really positive and if your audience is genuine.
Danae MercerModel, American journalist and influencer, with 2.2 million followers, see this situation with concern: «We are normalizing artificial beauty. For young people, this is now the standard with which they grow. And when they don’t reach it, they believe the problem is them ».
With this, Mercer bets on Show real content As photographs of his body, even with cellulite or folds when sitting, in contrast to the perfect images of virtual influencers. “The fact that a man believes an artificial woman to profit seems almost dirty,” Manifest.
Artificial intelligence expands in Europe
Spain is also including this phenomenon as is the case of Aitana Lópeza virtual influencer profile developed by the Clueless agency In Barcelona. This is “a character with history, emotions and passions”, presented in 2022 and today has more than 360,000 followerswith agreements closed with Llongueras and Sony Pictures.
In Germany, another outstanding case is Ben Gaya, The “first singer of Ia in Europe”, an avatar that has created the song “Sunshine Soul” that has accumulated millions of reproductions. Was created by digital agencies Constructive y Anylandfrom Bremen, as a “research project” that already collaborates with brands such as Katjes or Nickelodeon.
Human vs: Is the end of authenticity?
Experts such as the Professor of Sociology and Social Sciences at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, CARESTS TRYSThey warn that this trend can have consequences at the social level. As collected The mirror: «The influencers of the dilute the line between the real and the fictional. If they are not clearly labeled, we open the door to misinformation campaigns and a loss of generalized confidence ».
Meanwhile, some public figures such as Mercer or the German actress Louisa Delerted They try claim human imperfection as a differential value. “If an influencer of AI says that a product saved its hair, we know that it is not true: it never had one,” concludes Mercer.
Highlighting that promoting products with a profile that does not exist in real life, seems a tease for the followers it has. “A real story, with defects included, is worth much more,” Discuss the American influencer.
Influencers and IA: the new MKD podcast
From Markeingdirecto.com – MKD We have also wanted to add to this reflection with the launch of a podcast generated by artificial intelligence. An audio format content where by the hand of this technology in promotion The inclusion of virtual influencers in the real world is analyzed and how this phenomenon affects authenticityas well as to the perception of body, identity and truth in social networks. You can listen to it here:
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