Some of the most impactful influencers in the realm of social media are not human, but rather digitally created entities. The era of digital “people” becoming a norm in the business world is fast approaching.
In the past, artificial individuals were crafted using Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) AI technology, the same technology behind video deepfakes. Nowadays, these synthetic personalities are being created using LLM-based genAI tools.
One of the pioneering digital influencers on Instagram, known as Lil Miquela, has maintained a 19-year-old persona since 2016, amassing a fortune and being recognized as one of the top 25 influential figures on the Internet in 2018, despite being a non-human entity.
Among the roster of computer-generated influencers are Lu do Magalu, Shudu Gram, Imma, Ion Göttlich, K/DA, Bermuda, Thalasya, and Aitana Lopez.
What captivates me the most about the digital influencer trend is the public’s response. Followers, aware that these influencers are computer-generated, engage with them as if they were sentient beings capable of understanding and responding to comments.
It’s both disconcerting to consider that some commenters are unaware they are interacting with a fabricated persona, and equally unsettling to think that others are fully aware and still choose to engage. Some of these commenters themselves operate as virtual influencers, participating in the Instagram engagement strategy to attract followers.
2024-05-07 08:51:03
Link from www.computerworld.com