What Is an AI Influencer? How Marketers Can Use AI influencers (2024)

What’s an AI influencer?

An AI influencer, also often known as a virtual influencer (VI), is a computer-generated character designed to resemble an actual person and promote products or brands on social media platforms.

“AI influencers are starting to realize popularity on the earth of promoting and ecommerce, as they provide an economical and efficient option to promote products and interact with consumers,” says Ariel Sims, senior vp of paid social for Digitas, a worldwide marketing agency specializing in digital promoting.

An AI influencer can have a singular personality, voice, and backstory to make them engaging for his or her (human) followers.

use AI influencers in marketing

Marketing professionals can hire AI influencers to create and share content like product placement photos and unboxing videos on social media platforms—just as a human influencer would—as a part of a broader digital marketing campaign. Ecommerce brands also can deploy AI influencers to run interactive campaigns like polls, quizzes, or contests, encouraging user participation and brand awareness.

“Using an AI influencer may make more sense than using a human influencer in certain situations, corresponding to when cost, control, or area of interest targeting are critical aspects,” Ariel says. “AI influencers are also an amazing match for experimental campaigns and content ideas that might be difficult for humans to execute.”

AI influencers could be programmed to talk different languages and adapt their cultural references, enabling them to attach with audiences in diverse nation-states. And in contrast to real influencers with busy schedules and the necessity to sleep, an AI-generated influencer can churn out content consistently, ensuring a gradual stream of social media posts to maintain audiences engaged.

Pros of using an AI influencer

There are an a variety of benefits to employing AI influencers:

Control

Businesses and types that create their very own AI influencers have complete control over their image, personality, and brand messaging. Unlike human influencers who might make controversial statements or get caught up in scandals, AI influencers could be designed to keep up an uncontroversial persona.

“AI influencers can consistently create content that showcases brand voice and brand image,” Ariel says. “One other pro is that AI influencers can leverage data and advanced algorithms to create content that just isn’t influenced by other brands but is as a substitute inspired by the individuals who follow and interact with the brand itself.”

Cost

In comparison with human influencers, basic AI influencers can offer cost advantages (highly complex ones can, nonetheless, be expensive). There is no need for expensive photoshoots, travel arrangements, or ongoing negotiations for content creation. Consequently, AI influencers have gotten a compelling option for brands in search of to stretch their marketing budgets further.

“AI Influencers are great for productivity and price control,” Ariel says. “As they usually are not human, AI influencers could be available 24/7 interacting with followers and potential customers, continuing to construct community, and driving engagement.”

Innovation

AI influencers allow marketing teams to experiment with recent storytelling methods and formats. Brands can play with animation and computer graphics to create engaging content.

Cons of using an AI influencer

The drawbacks of AI influencers are still being unearthed, but to this point they could come up short in the next ways:

Authenticity

The shortage of authenticity is a consistent issue in AI influencer marketing. Although AI influencers could be visually appealing, some audiences find they lack the genuineness of human influencers. 

“Influence by its very nature relies on authenticity and that’s the most important reason that AI influencers are fundamentally a paradox, as they usually are not authentic in any way,” says Dickon Laws, global head of innovation services for global creative agency Ogilvy’s Emerging Experience Lab. “They’re, by definition, artificial.”

Emotional connection

Because they’re not human, AI influencers may not make strong emotional connections with followers. AI technology continues to be evolving in replicating human expressions and interactions, which could hinder their ability to foster a deep commitment from followers. 

“Consumers is also hesitant to share experiences and communicate with what they associate as a ‘robot,’” Ariel says.

Ethics

Most critically, there are ethical considerations when using AI influencers. Transparency in regards to the use of AI influencers is crucial to avoid misleading consumers, because deception can damage brand trust. This issue is more likely to intensify as advances in AI tools make it harder to tell apart real people from a pc program.

Noteworthy AI influencers

Among the best-known and hottest AI influencers include:

Lu do Magalu

Hailing from Brazil, Lu do Magalu is a virtual influencer created by retail giant Magazine Luiza. With a friendly personality, Lu do Magalu serves because the brand’s spokesperson, promoting products, offering styling suggestions, and interacting with customers on social mediaplatforms. With nearly seven million followers, Lu’s Instagram feed showcases product testing and reviews, and interviews with customers about their favorite purchases.

Lil Miquela

Launched in 2016, Lil Miquela is taken into account one in all the primary and hottest virtual influencers. With 2.6 million Instagram followers, Lil Miquela has collaborated with successful brands like Prada, Calvin Klein, and Samsung for sponsored content and social media campaigns. Described on her Instagram profile as a “21-year-old Robot living in LA,” Lil Miquela promotes products while maintaining a fastidiously crafted online persona that features music releases and social commentary.

Imma

With 388,000 followers on Instagram, Imma is a preferred virtual influencer in Japan (where her primary audience is situated). She has also attracted a worldwide fan base through brand campaigns with fashion brands like Coach, Fendi, and Prada. Imma is a voice for the longer term of virtual influencers, having given a virtual Ted Talk in Vancouver in April 2024 along together with her human creator/counterpart Sara Giusto.

Shudu

Shudu is an AI supermodel with greater than 240,000 followers on Instagram. Shudu has appeared in digital editorial spreads for Country and Town House, Nylon, and international editions of Vogue, amongst other fashion publications, while also working with clothing, fragrance, and makeup brands like Karl Lagerfeld, Rabanne, and Fenty Beauty. Shudu is now one in all several models from digital modeling agency The Diigitals.

Meta AI influencers

In the autumn of 2023, Meta rolled out a community of its own AI influencers on Facebook and Instagram. These AI characters can interact with users, responding to comments and messages in a consistent voice and magnificence.

Most of them fall into the category of micro-influencers—area of interest social media accounts with follower counts between 1,000 and 100,000. Amongst Meta’s AI influencers are Lorena, a globe-trotting traveler who you possibly can message for travel planning suggestions; Max, a digital chef with recipes for quick and simple meals; and Carter, a relationship influencer with the goal of helping followers date higher.

And Meta won’t be alone in launching its own AI influencer agency. TikTok can be reportedly developing its own virtual influencers to advertise and sell items on the viral video app.