In my leadership position in the Digital Marketing space, I have observed the shifts in marketing budgets to Digital and also the percentage of that budget that is shifting to Influencer marketing. It’s therefore undeniable that influencer marketing has become an almost inseparable part of marketing today, suffice to say it has grown to a $300m business.
As with every aspect of marketing and our lives generally, AI is making inroads into that segment.
Those of us in Digital marketing leadership ask ourselves how prepared we are for the pros and cons of AI influencer marketing.
Pros of AI Influencers:
Cost-Effectiveness: Using AI influencers can significantly reduce expenses such as travel, accommodation, and appearance fees.
Control and Consistency: AI influencers provide greater control over messaging and branding ensuring consistent brand image and message delivery, reducing the unpredictability of human influencers.
24/7 Availability: AI influencers don’t need breaks or sleep, allowing for continuous engagement with audiences across different time zones.
Risk Mitigation: Human influencers come with the risk of controversies, scandals, or changes in personal beliefs. AI influencers eliminate some of these risks as they are not subject to personal issues.
Cons and Concerns:
Ethical Considerations: There are ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI influencers, particularly regarding transparency and disclosure. Audiences may be misled if they are not aware that they are interacting with artificial entities.
Authenticity and Connection: One of the strengths of human influencers is their ability to establish authentic connections with their audience. AI influencers may struggle to create genuine emotional connections, potentially leading to a lack of trust.
Misinformation: With deepfake technology advancing, there is a risk of AI influencers spreading misinformation or being used for malicious purposes.
Public Perception: Some consumers may reject or feel uneasy about interacting with AI influencers, perceiving them as inauthentic or manipulative.
It is estimated that there are over 150 virtual influencers on Instagram, if you add TikTok and all the deep fakes there, these numbers could easily triple. Mind you some of them already have a huge following e.g Lu do Magalu – @magazineluiza as of today has 6.8m followers on IG making her the world’s most-followed AI influencer on IG. Others with huge followers include Lil Miquela – @lilmiquela (2.6m) who describes herself as a 19-year-old robot living in LA. I guess she may never grow old and keep her appeal to the young folks
I personally do not believe that AI influencers will fully replace humans but they are likely to grow as the virtual world and reality continue to blur with technological advancement, if you are in marketing leadership and are not thinking about this you may want to rethink.
