Sam Blumenthal

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... See more

Still, many creators may look elsewhere to monetize their content through memberships, one-time payments, or merch sales. Some say services like Patreon or Cameo give creators more control and independence. “I’m always wary of putting all your eggs in one basket,” says Weinstein of Underscore Talent.

In December, a fashion startup called Scarce started selling used luxury clothing in the form of mystery boxes, following in the footsteps of a British startup, Heat, which launched with the same concept in late 2019. Both companies claim they have managed to avoid a high return rate — one of the biggest potential pitfalls of a mystery box sales... See more