AI Influencers: Trends, Controversies, and Marketing Impact

AI influencers are trending in the United States in 2025. Although they were once highly popular, brand interest in virtual influencers has declined by approximately 30% compared to the previous year.

This decline is caused by reduced audience engagement and criticism regarding the lack of authenticity of AI influencers.

However, AI technology continues to be used to support human influencer content, such as in post-production processes.

Despite the decline in brand interest, some AI influencers remain popular on platforms like Instagram.

For example, Lu do Magalu, a virtual character from Brazil, has over 8 million followers and is known for involvement in e-commerce and entertainment.

Lil Miquela, a virtual influencer from the United States, also has around 2.4 million followers and continues to collaborate with major brands.

Overall, although brand interest in virtual influencers has decreased, AI influencers still have a significant impact in the United States in 2025.

What Are AI Influencers?

AI influencers are public figures or influencers entirely created and controlled by artificial intelligence. They are not real humans but virtual characters that can have their own appearance, personality, and voice.

Their content including photos, videos, and social media posts is created using AI technologies such as deep learning, generative AI, and CGI.

Key points about AI influencers:

1. Not real, but appear real: AI influencers can be highly realistic, making people think they are actual humans. For example, Lil Miquela on Instagram looks like a real model, despite being entirely digital.
2. Able to interact on social media: They can reply to comments, post regularly, and collaborate with brands just like human influencers. All interactions are controlled or driven by AI.
3. Used for marketing and entertainment: Brands can partner with AI influencers for product promotion without logistical issues tied to human influencers, such as schedules or high payment demands.
4. Controversy and ethics: Since they are not human, there are ethical questions: is the content they produce authentic? Is it appropriate to use AI to imitate deceased people?

In short, AI influencers are digital influencers living entirely in the virtual world but capable of having real influence on social media and marketing industries.

Popular AI Influencers & Why They Are Making Headlines

Here are some well-known AI influencers along with their follower counts and main platforms:

1. Lil Miquela

One of the most famous AI influencers from the United States, frequently collaborating with major fashion brands and presenting a persona like an urban teenager.

• Platform: Instagram
• Followers: ~2.4 million

2. Shudu Gram

Known as the world’s first virtual supermodel from the United Kingdom, focusing on fashion and modeling.

• Platform: Instagram
• Followers: ~250 thousand

3. Bermuda

An AI influencer from the United States with a controversial character that often creates dramatic stories and public interactions on social media.

• Platform: Instagram
• Followers: ~600 thousand

4. Lu do Magalu

An AI influencer used for e-commerce and entertainment, highly popular in Brazil.

• Platform: Instagram, TikTok
• Followers: >8 million

5. Mia Zelu

A rising AI influencer who went viral at Wimbledon 2025 due to a realistic appearance and involvement in the sports event.

• Platform: Instagram, TikTok
• Followers: ~1 million

These AI influencers show that although they are not human, they can have a real impact on audiences, fashion trends, product promotion, and even social discussions.

Why AI Influencers Are Making Headlines Today

AI influencers are currently in the spotlight for several reasons related to technology, social media, marketing, and society:

1. Decline in Brand Interest in AI Influencers

A few years ago, AI influencers were very popular, and many brands wanted to collaborate with them because they looked futuristic and could attract audience attention.

However, recently, brand interest has declined by about 30 percent compared to previous levels.

Main reasons:

1. Decline in audience engagement: Audiences began to feel that interactions with AI influencers were less lively or personal compared to real humans. Likes, comments, and overall engagement decreased.
2. Lack of authenticity: People realized AI influencers do not have real-life experiences, emotions, or life stories, making marketing messages feel less genuine.

As a result, brands are now cautious about collaborating with fully AI influencers, but they still use AI technology as a supporting tool in marketing.

2. Ethical Controversy and Technology Misuse

AI technology, especially deepfake, allows people to create videos or digital content showing deceased public figures as if they were still alive.

Examples include Robin Williams and Martin Luther King Jr.

Main issues:

• Ethical violation: Bringing someone back digitally without consent can be seen as disrespectful to them or their families.
• Content manipulation: There is a risk that the created content can be misused for commercial or political purposes, blurring the line between fact and fiction.

Public reaction:

• Family members of the deceased, such as Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams) and Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.), strongly criticized the practice.
• They emphasized the need for ethical regulations and guidelines when using AI, especially concerning public figures who have passed away.

Consequently, society is becoming more aware that although AI technology can be impressive, its use is not free from ethical concerns.

3. Increase in Public Discussion About AI

The topic of AI, especially AI influencers, is being discussed more frequently on social media. Data from Meltwater shows that in the first five months of 2025, there were over 114,000 mentions of AI influencers.

This number represents an increase of approximately 50 percent compared to the same period last year, showing a significant surge in public attention.

Reasons for the increased discussion:

• Surprise and public curiosity: AI influencers are a new phenomenon that sparks interest. People want to know who they are, how they are created, and how realistic they appear.
• Controversy and ethics: Topics such as deepfakes and AI imitating humans provoke wide debate, leading to more people commenting and sharing opinions.
• Use in marketing and entertainment: Brands and media using AI influencers for promotions or entertainment content increase the visibility of the topic on social media.

The rise in public discussion indicates that AI influencers are not just a passing trend but a phenomenon influencing public opinion and the media industry. It also shows that people are becoming more aware and critical of AI use in everyday life.

4. Role of AI in Supporting Human Influencers

Although interest in fully AI influencers has declined, AI technology remains very useful for human influencers.

AI is not always a replacement for humans but serves as a supporting tool to make content more appealing and efficient.

Examples of AI usage:

• Post-production of videos and photos: AI can edit videos, add visual effects, improve lighting or colors, and even create smooth animations.
• Special tools: Software such as Sora 2 or services from companies like Mirage help influencers produce high-quality content more efficiently.
• Engagement optimization: AI can analyze audience data to determine which type of content is more effective or the best posting times.

Main benefits:

• Improves content quality without increasing manual workload.
• Speeds up production processes so influencers can consistently upload content.
• Enables more creative content with effects or animations that are difficult to produce manually.

In summary, AI now acts more as a creative assistant for human influencers than as an influencer itself. This keeps AI relevant in the social media industry, even as the trend for fully virtual influencers declines.

Benefits of AI Influencers

Although the hype around AI influencers is largely driven by controversy and ethical discussion rather than practical benefits, AI influencers still play a positive role for content creators in various ways:

1. Full control for brands: Brands can determine the appearance, message, and posting schedule of AI influencers without the risk of unpredictable behavior, making campaigns more consistent and safe for brand image.
2. Efficiency and lower cost: No need to pay large fees, cover travel, or deal with human influencer scheduling. Content can be produced faster, especially for long-term campaigns.
3. Improved content quality: AI can assist in editing photos and videos, adding visual effects, animation, and post-production enhancements. Tools like Sora 2 or Mirage help human influencers produce content more efficiently.
4. Personalization and interaction: AI can analyze audience data to tailor content more accurately and respond to comments or messages quickly, giving a sense of real-time interaction.
5. Creative and futuristic experimentation: AI influencers allow experimentation with stories, visual styles, or characters that are difficult for humans to achieve, such as unique personas, digital clothing, or animated scenarios.
6. Reduced risk of negative reputation: AI does not engage in controversial behavior, personal scandals, or social controversies that human influencers might face.

In short, AI influencers function more as a flexible marketing and entertainment tool than as a viral phenomenon. They help brands and human creators work more efficiently, creatively, and safely.

AI Influencers vs Human Influencers

AI influencers excel in control, efficiency, and creative experimentation but lack authenticity and rarely go viral for their practical benefits.

Human influencers remain stronger in building emotional connections and engagement with audiences, which often leads to trending content.

Conclusion

AI influencers are trending due to sensationalism, controversy, and novelty, not their practical usefulness.

Their benefits are mainly internal to the industry, while public attention is driven by provocative and emotional factors.