We’ve seen it all when it comes to influencers on social media: unattainable beauty, perfectly crafted copy, a plethora of #gifted products and holidays, and robot models selling us everything from fashion to music. Wait, what? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has reached Men in Black or The Matrix-level absurdity with computer-generated figures—models, musicians and activists—becoming the influencers of the new decade.

Do you remember watching the kind of films depicting this kind of futuristic future and thinking, No way will that happen. I watched Spy Kids when I was younger, amongst other elementary spy themed shows. The characters carried mobile devices and had VR-like accessories and I thought it were so far-fetched… until merely years later when we all carried flip phones which became iPhones, which is looking to be overrun by Apple Glasses within a single year.

These “virtual influencers” (this name is comically ironic) have millions of followers, with fans commenting on the posts as if this persona is in fact a person. On the top account as recorded by HypeAuditor, admirers of the most followed AI influencer, @lilmiquela, comment with “I love you, Miquela!”and “Couple goals!” with her supposed boyfriend. However, it seems that most people commenting are hyper-aware of the hyper-unreal.

So why are we falling for this blatant manipulation? These influencers are not doing much to help influencer culture, with their body, skin and fashion sense all generated to perfection. If regular human followers (the fact that I have to differentiate is wild) find regular human influencers to be relatively irritating with their sponsored posts and “gifted” lifestyle, why do AI developers, modelling agencies and other media conglomerates think we will appreciate being marketed to by robots?

As a pretty basic explanation, the virtual influencers are built by software and graphic design developers and super-imposed onto red carpets, amidst a particular landscape or dressed in the latest haute couture gowns. They are listed on modelling agencies’ main boards and high tech and fashion brands seem to want in.

These robots are three-dimensional figures and often inspired by anime culture, as seen with @noonoouri, who resembles a Bratz doll (remember them?); or the incredibly lifelike @shudu.gram, dubbed as ‘The World’s First Digital Supermodel’ in her Instagram bio. She featured in Harper’s Bazaar Arabia recently, where the dress was digitally drawn by a designer. Vogue has already used virtual influencers and models on social media. Will we see one on a cover in 2020?

Many digital models such as Shudu are signed to a new agency formed solely for virtual figures, The Diigitals. Just like regular modelling agencies, there are different “looks” depending on what you’re after, from full-blown alien-like to can’t-tell-if-they’re-human realistic.

Is this a savvy save money to gain money scenario? If companies want this kind of influencer, in an ideal situation, there would merely have to be one photographer and one designer on board to actually create this kind of AI content. Of course, there would be a heap of character building (in the literal sense!), but upon a brief, one photographer could essentially go and shoot backgrounds with the designer super-imposing the digital model into the frame.

AI influencers are likely being used more for brand awareness than an unashamed click-to-buy strategy. Followers can easily follow for the thrill and to see this kind of technology coming to life. Regular followers aren’t going to purchase a haute couture dress after seeing it on a robot. However, some virtual influencers are musicians available on Spotify, and promote their new singles which is more tangible for followers to attach to.

After researching the bulk of this article, I headed onto Instagram casually and noticed @noonoouri commenting on famous human’s posts such as Naomi Campbell, with supportive but no doubt strategic comment placement. This grew a certain amount of intrigue about who is managing these accounts. Is this then considered fake? Fraudulent? The community manager here, for lack of a better term, is basically doing the 2019 Instagram equivalent of #likeforlike #follow4follow from back in the day.

This new way of marketing is early in its lifespan and no doubt ready for individual brand interpretation. Or will it crash and burn?

Information sourced from here.