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Meet the AI influencers ALREADY making millions from mega deals with fashion giants – could you tell they don’t exist?

Published

4 months ago

July 31, 2023

Meet the AI influencers ALREADY making millions from mega deals with fashion giants - could you tell they don't exist?

THEIR jet-set lifestyles, stunning wardrobes and perfect figures leave mere mortals drooling with envy.

Influencers Lil Miquela, Imma and supermodel Shudu have raked in millions from deals with fashion giants such as Dior, Calvin Klein, Chanel and Prada.

Last week, Nordic model Milla Sofia duped Twitter users into believing her bikini photos were authenticCredit: Twitter / AiModelMilla

It comes amid a growing number of dupe profiles on social media - with computer-generated characters so realistic they can fool humans — It comes amid a growing number of dupe profiles on social media – with computer-generated characters so realistic they can fool humansCredit: Getty

Almost eight million fans on social media are fascinated by every detail of their lives, especially Lil Miquela’s relationship with fellow “star” Blawko.

But these shiny celebrities all have one thing in common — not one of them is real.

Welcome to the world of the virtual influencer, which is already estimated to be worth an eye-watering £3.5billion and is projected to grow by 26 per cent by 2025, experts claim.

Tech firms behind the computer-generated characters — made by graphic designers and digital artists using artificial intelligence — can rake in as much as £8,000 for a social media post by collaborating with big brands.

And the dupe profiles are so realistic, many followers are convinced they are humans.

Just last week, Nordic model Milla Sofia duped Twitter users into believing her glam bikini pics — supposedly posted from all over the world — were authentic.

Despite her account stating she is a “19-year-old robot girl”, fans were quick to call her gorgeous, sexy and beautiful, with just a handful of people pointing out she was made by AI.

Ted Murphy, founder of global influencer marketing firm IZEA, says the rise of virtual characters will transform the advertising landscape.

He told The Sun: “They are not confined by human limitations.

“They can be in multiple places at once, speak any language, perform incredible feats and even undergo a total redesign at will.

“This offers boundless creative potential for brand storytelling, marketing and audience engagement.”

Instagram expert Estelle Keeber, of consultancy Immortalmonkey.com, said AI streamers are becoming more and more popular because they offer brands a “high level of control” over their messaging.

She said: “AI doesn’t have personal biases or controversial opinions that could negatively impact brand image.

“They can maintain a consistent presence online, posting at predetermined times without fatigue, which ensures regular engagement with the target audience and potential customers.

“There is also a cost benefit. Instead of hiring expensive models and photographers, companies and brands can create stunning custom visuals with AI-generated characters which are budget friendly and still looking fabulous.”

But Estelle warned business chiefs to “strike a balance” between virtual and real influencers to avoid alienating customers.

In 2019, car maker Renault became one of the first global firms to create a virtual beauty for a TV advert, launching dark-haired Liv — an inoffensive everywoman in her 20s.

Samsung followed by hiring Lil Miquela — who is projected to earn £9million this year — for its #teamgalaxy campaign.

The 19-year-old “robot living in LA” was named one of Time Magazine’s top 25 most influential people on the internet in 2018 and went on to star in an advert for Calvin Klein with top model Bella Hadid.

‘Mesmerising idea’

With 3.6million followers on TikTok and 2.7million on Instagram, Lil Miquela — created by American AI company Brud — is considered the Queen of virtual reality.

But there are plenty of other stars, including Shudu, with 240,000 Insta followers and who can command up to £400 per post, and Japanese creation Imma, who landed a deal to promote furniture giant Ikea.

But she calls for strict regulations - since as it develops, we may not know what is real any more — But she calls for strict regulations – since as it develops, we may not know what is real any moreCredit: Getty

Presenter Lara Lewington, who co-hosts the BBC’s weekly flagship technology show Click, said the virtual influencers appeal to Gen Z, who are looking for novel engagement.

Though she is calling for strict regulations, amid fears of a future which blurs the lines between reality and fiction.

Lara told us: “In a way I think ‘Why not use AI?’. It’s a mesmerising idea and influencers can be created in the exact way companies want to create them.

“Firms have always embraced technology in advertising and this is just the latest way of doing things.

“Artificial intelligence will become embedded more and more around us and we, as humans, will decide what we want to engage with.

“Some people will be interested in it, while others will feel these influencers are a step too far.

“One of the big issues is that, as it develops, we may not know what’s real any more and you have to ask if that will become more and more of a problem on social media.

“Measures are being talked about to ensure people can differentiate.

“One idea is to watermark AI content, but it relies on creators to do it properly.”

There are also worries over how much power these fabricated figures could wield.

Bermuda is an American influencer who trash talks rivals and once pushed the Trump agenda before switching political allegiances when he left the White House.

She caused a furore in 2018 by posting: “It’s OK to be white. I said it and I’m not afraid to say it: I am proud to be a white woman.”

Journalist Lara says it is posts such as Bermuda’s that concern her.

She added: “Artificial intelligence is such an emotive subject because humanity can feel threatened, and if it can create a virtual person, you don’t want it creating a dictator with a whole agenda that can live on for ever.”

Statistics reveal that some 60 per cent of people follow at least one virtual influencer.

And among those who don’t, 51 per cent of social media users admitted they simply have no interest in them.

Figures from the Influencer Marketing factory also show that, of those who follow robot accounts, 28 per cent engage on TikTok and YouTube and around 20 per cent on TikTok.

PR expert Mark Borkowski believes AI can never compete with real brand ambassadors, even when they become embroiled in drama and scandal.

He said: “Although AI will tick all the boxes, an old-fashioned story always wins.

“People are drawn to things that are new and shiny and will dive in.

“But they can get bored quickly and move on.

“Just because someone follows something, it doesn’t mean they are actively engaging with it.

“Are you going to tell me that fake AI replaces the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylie Jenner? Of course not.”

Below we highlight some of the top AI influencers . . .

Lil Miquela

Computer wizardry to create and mix music lets this 'influencer' have songs on Spotify — Computer wizardry to create and mix music lets this ‘influencer’ have songs on SpotifyCredit: Instagram / lilmiquela

Worth: An estimated £10million and can charge up to £8,000 a post.

Profile: Claims to be a 19-year-old robot living in LA but was created by American AI company Brud.

Loves Cardi B, supports #blacklivesmatter and transgender rights.

Computer wizardry to create and mix music lets the Brazilian-American have songs on Spotify.

Has partnered with brands such as Pacsun and Prada.

Followers: 2.7million on Instagram, 3.6million on TikTok.

Controversy: Model Bella Hadid was accused of “queer baiting” after “kissing” Lil Miquela in a Calvin Klein advert. The firm later apologised.

Bermuda

Worth: Valued at £440,000 a year until she mysteriously stopped posting in 2020 amid a row over her inventors.

Profile: Trump supporter who trashed other influencers. Posted memes condemning Hillary Clinton.

Her virtual boyfriend is Blawko.

Followers: 244,000 on Instagram.

Controversy: Bermuda was thought to be the brainchild of mysterious US firm Cain Intelligence.

But when she allegedly hacked Lil Miquela’s profile in 2018, it sparked rumours she was also created by Brud.

Mikirah Muse

Mikirah is a curvy 'model' who calls herself a singer, DJ and producer — Mikirah is a curvy ‘model’ who calls herself a singer, DJ and producerCredit: Instagram / mikirahmuse

Worth: £100 an Instagram post.

Profile: The curvy “model” first appeared on Instagram in February 2021, calling herself a singer, DJ and producer – but little else is known.

Appears to be based in America.

Followers: 3,500 on Instagram

Controversy: None . . . yet.

Milla Sofia

Milla set up her Instagram just profile last month, and already has 52,000 followersCredit: Supplied

Worth: Having set up her Instagram profile just last month, there are not many financial details on Milla.

But with 52,000 followers, she could charge up to £350 a post on the platform.

Profile: Pictured in a selection of itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny bikinis.

Followers: 52.7k on Instagram, 90,000 on TikTok and 12.5k on Twitter (now X)

Controversy: Mila looks so realistic that X users were fooled into thinking she was real.

It appears many were too busy admiring her pictures to read her bio, where she describes herself as a “24-year-old robot girl living in Helsinki”.

Imma

Worth: £505,000 a year and £1,000 a post.

Profile: Japan’s first virtual model, invented by tech firm Aww Inc, who is known for her bubblegum pink bob.

She has worked with top brands including Porsche Japan, Ikea, Dior, Puma, Nike, Valentino and Amazon.

Followers: 11,100 on Twitter (now X) and 399,000 on Instagram.

Controversy: Took part in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, where she “participated” in the closing ceremony, marking a first for the virtual world.

BLAWKO

Worth: An estimated £159,000 a year and £600 per Instagram post.

Profile: A streetwise bad boy who lives in LA and dates Lil Miquela.

They were created by the same tech firm, Brud.

Never seen without a mask covering his lower face, even before the pandemic.

He was once represented by top PR firm Huxley and has worked with fashion brands including Balenciaga and Supreme.

Followers: More than 224,000 on YouTube and 130,000 on Facebook.

Controversy: Once “dated” Lil Miquela’s rival Bermuda, which led to even more questions about who was behind the Trump-supporting influencer.

Shudu

Worth: Earns around £96,000 a year and can charge up to £400 a post.

Profile: The creation of British fashion photographer Cameron-James Wilson, she claims to be the world’s first AI supermodel.

Recently seen in Louis Vuitton cothing for a shoot in Harper’s Bazaar magazine.

Followers: 240,000 on Instagram.

Controversy: Cameron-James was accused of denying real black women the chance to model.

He later said: “There’s a big kind of movement with dark skin models. So she represents them and is inspired by them.”

Kyra

Worth: Not yet known

Profile: India’s first meta-influencer launched her career as a “dream chaser, model and traveller” last year.

She attends music festivals worldwide and has endorsed Indian brands including Morris Garages and Navro phones.

At least three dead in plane crash as emergency services scrambled to scene

Gilgo suspect's ‘biggest mistake revealed & shows he's a narcissist'

Followers: 215,000 on Instagram and 1,800 on YouTube.

Controversy: Instagram critics claim that she looks “cartoonish”, with one saying: “The human vibe we get is lost.”

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Snap On How It Empowered Women’s With AR Storytellling

Published

2 hours ago

December 5, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

Snap On How It Empowered Women’s With AR Storytellling

Snapchat has won the AR/VR category at The Drum Awards for Creativity. Here is the award-winning case study.

In France, like many western countries, public space lacks monuments honouring women. What about empowering Women’s Legacy through Augmented Reality? As a storytelling company, Snap knows that stories have the power to change hearts, minds, and behaviors. Stories create empathy, which can inspire behavior change across Snap and the broader industry. And although our industry is data-driven, we understand numbers are not a substitute for lived experience. The differing lived experience of underrepresented groups can reduce feelings of belonging, which in turn reduces opportunity to realize potential. Snap’s goal in inspiring empathy is to create a shared culture of belonging for all.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8, 2023, Snap’s AR Studio has been honouring 8 emblematic women in 8 major French cities (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg, Metz and Nantes) through a unique augmented reality experience: “March 8, 8 women”. “March 8, 8 women” has been a unique opportunity to demonstrate Augmented Reality’s impact in supporting Great National Cause (French president Emmanuel Macron has declared Equity a priority for 2023), while showcasing Snap’s creative and technologic leadership in AR.

While as many women as men have marked the course of history, the vast majority of sculptures in the urban space in France (squares, gardens and streets) honour male characters. Snap’s AR Studio has thus imagined augmented reality statues of women who have left their mark on history in the fields of politics, arts and letters or resistance. These augmented reality statues are installed next to the physical statues of their male counterparts – hence creating a silent dialogue between two historical figures, a male & a female, a physical & a virtual, both having lived in the same era, walked similar fields, achieved close successes.

Each of these 8 virtual statues honours the achievements of the following 8 great women in history and helps to commemorate their contributions to French society:

Simone Veil: Champion of women’s rights, emblem of the 1975 law that legalized abortion, and the first female president of the European Parliament. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of General Charles de Gaulle on the Champs-Elysées roundabout in Paris.

Simone de Beauvoir: An acclaimed writer and philosopher of the existentialist movement. As an anti-conformist, she advocated for the emancipation of women in her writings, such as her 1949 book The Second Sex, and became one of the pioneers of French feminism in the 20th century. Her augmented reality statue will be placed next to the physical one of 20th century poet and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, at Place Bellecour in Lyon.

Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun: Admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1783 and the official painter to Marie Antoinette, she achieved critical and popular success in the artistic world despite the many obstacles facing female artists of her time. Her augmented reality statue will be placed next to the physical one of 18th century artist Pierre Puget, in the Parc Borély in Marseille.

Françoise de Graffigny: One of the most emblematic female figures of 18th century French literature, best known for her philosophical essay Letters from a Peruvian Woman published in 1747. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of renown philosopher Montesquieu, at Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux.

Manon Tardon: Figure of the French Resistance and Free France, she was present on May 8, 1945, in Berlin when the surrender of Nazi Germany was signed. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of World War 2 hero Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, at Square Amiral Halgan in Nantes.

Josephine Baker: An American-born singer, actress, feminist, showgirl, and French resistance fighter, Josephine Baker was a spy for the Free French Forces, an emblem of the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, and an influential figure in the fight against racial segregation. Her augmented reality statue will be placed next to the physical one of resistant fighter Jean Moulin, at Gare Centrale in Metz.

Olympe de Gouges: Principal author of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Citizen published in 1791, she is considered one of the French pioneers of feminism. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of French Revolution leader Jean-Baptiste Kléber, at Place Kléber in Strasbourg.

Hubertine Auclert: Journalist, feminist activist, and founder of the society Le droit des femmes in 1876, she advocated for women’s economic independence, the right to education, and equality in marriage and divorce. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of early 20th-century activist Léon Trulin, at Place du Théâtre (not far from the Lille Opera).

“Through this innovative experience installed in 8 cities in France, we want to pay tribute to 8 women who have changed French history and society through their actions, their writings, or their positions. Thanks to Snap’s augmented reality technologies, we were able to celebrate those 8 women by building their statues in the public space by placing them alongside statues of men. By establishing a silent dialogue between these historical figures, our wish is to raise public awareness of the fight for women’s rights.” — Donatien Bozon, AR Studio Director.

To design this outstanding augmented reality experience, AR Studio Paris teamed up with French Women’s Rights advocate and influencer Aude Gogny-Goubert, drew inspiration from academic essays (Women & cities, Presses universitaires François-Rabelais, 2004), and requested the patronage of SnapWomen EMEA, a Snap’s Employee Representative Group supporting Equity. An all-female panel vetted the 8 female historical figures (and their male counterpart), from more than twenty curated candidates.

It took AR Studio Paris and its partners a total of 3 months, from ideation to launch, to create true virtual monument as close to physical ones as possible. 3D artists and producers scrutinized the physical statues in order to develop a virtual counterpart replicating sculpting techniques and materials. AR engineers exploited Snap Inc. proprietary technologies (Location AR, Environment mapping, Surface Tracking…) to bring this augmented reality experience to life.

The AR experience “March 8, 8 Women” has been available since March 8, 2023, sharing, with Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg, Metz and Nantes citizen and visitors, 8 permanent virtual monument exclusively available on Snapchat… thus building momentum to advocate Equity across France.

Snap believes that augmented reality—digital content overlaid over the real world—represents the next major shift in computing. Like ephemeral messaging and vertical video, Snap also pioneered augmented reality. Today Snap is leading in AR, from a technology, scale, and creator perspective. Snap’s vision for AR is rooted in innovation and stems from our desire to solve problems for our community in a creative way through human-centric design, and the desire to create a more positive reality rather than escape the problems our society faces. As it turns out, Snapchatters love the world around them and the friends and family they share it with, so why not use technology to enhance it for the better?

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SOCIAL

An Overview of the Evolving Data Landscape Powering AI, VR, and More [Infographic]

Published

8 hours ago

December 5, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

An Overview of the Evolving Data Landscape Powering AI, VR, and More [Infographic]

While AI and large language models (LLMs) become more commonplace, it’s worth considering the amount of computational power, and data storage, that these systems require to operate.

Demand for high-grade GPUs, for example, is still exceeding demand, as more tech companies and investors look to muscle in, while the big players continue to build on their data center capacity, in order to beat smaller systems out of the market.

That, inevitably, means that control over many of these new processes will eventually fall to those with the most money, and even if you have concerns about next-level computational power being governed by CEOs and corporations, there’s not a heap that you can do about it, as they need an established holding to even get in.

Well, unless a government steps in and seeks to build its own infrastructure in order to facilitate AI development, though that seems unlikely.

And it’s not just AI, with crypto processes, complex analysis, and advanced scientific discovery now largely reliant on a few key providers that have available capacity.

It’s a concern, but essentially, you can expect to see a lot more investment in big data centers and processing facilities over the coming years.

This new overview from Visual Capitalist (for Hive Digital) provides some additional context. Here, the VC team have broken down the current data center landscape, and what we’re going to need to facilitate next-level AI, VR, the metaverse, and more.

It’s an eye-opening summary. You can check out Visual Capitalists’ full overview here.

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