You have already interacted with an AI influencer

I have a friend that is convinced that he’s never heard a song by Taylor Swift. When pressed, he is adamant that it’s never happened; not in a movie, not in a grocery store, not at a baseball game, not anywhere.

While I can’t prove it, he’s clearly wrong. While he may have never intentionally listened to her, he’s undoubtedly heard dozens of songs of hers in various places over the years.

The same may be true for you when it comes to AI-generated influencers. Have you ever seen or interacted with one? Maybe not intentionally, but it’s almost certainly happened. If you’re not familiar with the concept of an AI influencer, it’s exactly what it sounds like — a social media “influencer” that isn’t real and only exists through AI-generated images. A good example is the story of Mia Zelu at Wimbledon.

At a recent event (and as shared on his podcast), Gary Vee said it very clearly to those in attendance: “Every person here as interacted with and consumed content from an AI influencer and has no idea“.

AI influencers are going to be a big deal. In the coming months as they become easier to create (and more difficult to identify as being AI), more and more brands will start using them. There will certainly be a case for using real athletes and celebrities, but for most companies it will be easier and wildly more affordable to simply create a persona of their own.

I like to think that I’ve never consumed any content from an AI influencer, but the rational side of me knows that I’m almost certainly wrong.