In Graphic Detail: Virtual influencers click with young audiences, yet brands’ interest wanes

Younger audiences are warming up to virtual influencers — but marketers are still on the fence.

Over the past year, it’s become difficult to open Instagram or TikTok without scrolling by a virtual influencer. These are different from the faceless creators who use generative AI tools to mass-produce content; instead, they are fully AI-generated avatars whose appearance, voice and actions are fine-tuned by an individual or team of individuals behind the scenes.

Virtual creators have been around for years, but have received a new wave of attention this year as generative AI and avatar technology entered the mainstream. In July, a Wimbledon-inspired post by the virtual influencer Mia Zelu went mega-viral; earlier this month, Zelu and Miquela were the subjects of a buzzy New York Times profile.

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