Why use virtual influencers?

Without going into the moral implications of choosing "robots" over humans, virtual influencers can open up new social media channels for brands. Depending on the brand, VI marketing can be a great way to connect with audiences. It’s up to brands to decide what the trade-off is between messaging, having control over a virtual persona, a likely boos... See more

By definition, a virtual influencer is a fictional AI-generated person with realistic characteristics, features and personalities of humans. They behave just like real-life influencers. They speak to the camera, share selfies, feelings and thoughts. The only difference is the content. And, well, the obvious – they’re computer-generated with pre-pro... See more

This is one reason I’m bearish on companies like Brud, which are creating virtual influencers (yes, it’s a thing). Gen Z has a strong “authenticity detector” and I’m skeptical that digitally-created influencers will replace real, tangible, relatable people.

At a time when interacting safely with other humans can no longer be taken for granted, the appetite for digital spokespeople is accelerating. Brands are expected to spend as much as $15 billion annually on influencer marketing by 2022, up from $8 billion last year, according to Business Insider Intelligence. A growing slice of that money belongs t... See more

What has become more and more clear to the non-influencer social media user is that things aren’t what they seemed. Influencers aren’t out to “influence” their “followers” in a positive way — they’re looking to “influence” them to purchase material goods from brands that are willing to pay them enough to advertise. Influencers are more concerned wi... See more

On the flip side with regard to Miquela, some may argue, is that she’s more real than many ’real’ influencers. For starters, she acknowledges that she is a robot. And she speaks the truth. She was brought to life around the same time the world realized how detrimental social media could be. She makes us question what is real and our parameters of r... See more