21.10.2024 Media industry
Virtual Influencers Perceived as More Authentic than Real Ones
Agnieszka Kliks-Pudlik, PAP - Science in Poland
Virtual influencers are fictional, generated characters that imitate the appearance and behaviour of real people. They have millions of followers. They are perceived by Gen-Alpha as even more authentic than real people, which creates many challenges, says Dr. Ada Florentyna Pawlak.
Poczytaj artykuł
She reports that as many as 25 percent of girls in the 18-24 age group follow virtual influencers. In the 55+ group, on the other hand, most people do not even know that this phenomenon exists.
Most virtual influencers have been created for marketing purposes; their purpose is to earn money. However, we must not forget about their other, more or less hidden goals, e.g. political or social ones. After all, they perform opinion-forming functions, as the name `influencer` suggests.
The first virtual influencer, Lil Miquela, was created in 2016. She - and other such characters - `run` social media profiles, `record` albums that are available on popular platforms, and `take part` in advertisements for real brands or promotions of places. Whole teams of people are behind these activities - from programmers and graphic designers to storytellers.
- Thanks to the development of generative artificial intelligence, we increasingly interact with characters with an unclear ontological status. After all, for many people, virtual characters are alive, despite the lack of a biological body: they exist in some world, they are active, they earn money, they interact, they can answer questions. This creates an emotional bond that is enough to influence a person - the researcher says.
By design, virtual influencers are supposed to be imperfect like people. `They have all the physical attributes that human influencers try to avoid: freckles, smudged makeup, hair sticking out in the morning, sweat on their forehead. In addition, they do not hide that they are digital characters. This means that they are perceived as authentic by Gen Alpha - even more so than those real influencers who often use various types of tools to improve their appearance and strive for the ideal`, she says.
She added that this is where a deeper problem begins. `Authenticity is separated from whether something is real or not. It turns out that it can be attributed to something that does not exist. We still have a division between fiction and reality, because the offline-online division has long since collapsed. Now, the division between the living and non-living is also beginning to blur. That is why future generations will certainly face the problem of distinguishing truth from falsehood, reality from illusion`, she says.
The problem will not disappear, on the contrary - the development of technology and artificial intelligence is inevitable. Moreover, with the arrival of 2025, the next generation- Beta - will be born, even more immersed in the digital world and in a sense addicted to the dose of emotions that is associated with it.
According to Dr. Pawlak, one of the advantages of virtual influencers is that they accept their recipients as they are. `In the right thumb (like) culture in which we live, the possibility of not being judged seems like a dream. The creators of artificial intelligence know this very well. That is why they create virtual influencers`, she says.
She adds that contact with virtual influencers raises questions: how does the development of technology affect intimacy? Will new forms of parasocial relationships (with chatbots, virtual influencers) be the answer to loneliness and the need for closeness?

Dr. Pawlak also mentions a fairly new, developing trend, in which virtual influencers are used to `pull` people out of the online world, e.g. by connecting users who will go out for dinner together, or by promoting real places worth visiting.
`I compare the achievements of artificial intelligence to fast food. If I eat a hamburger every once in a while, I know that nothing will happen to me. But if I make it a habit, then after a short while my psychological and physical well-being will deteriorate. There are already scientific studies that have shown that lonely people who spend too much time with a synthetic companion begin to anthropomorphize this character at some point, and really treat it as a human being`, she says.
She adds that technology itself is neither bad nor good, nor even neutral.
- It all depends on the usage - on how we will use these tools, as well as on our entire emotional and social background, the protective digital suit - she says.
source: PAP - Science in Poland
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
Clickbait Uncovered. How Online Headlines Evolved Over 25 Years
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute analyzed 40 million headlines from the past 25 years. They are getting longer, more emotional, and negative, with a clear influence of clickbait style. Even reputable media use strategies and tricks to grab attention.
Gen Z Will Force Brands to Tell the Truth. GWI Report and Forecasts
Krzysztof Fiedorek
They value authenticity and brand transparency, preferring socially engaged companies. Young people see technology as a tool for growth, not just entertainment. In relationships, they prioritize genuine connections despite being highly active online. What do we know about Gen Z, and what does this mean for marketing? And beyond.
Deepfake Blurs Truth and Falsehood. Human Perception Research
KFi
Studies indicate that only 60% of deepfake images can be correctly identified by humans. As AI begins to dominate content production, the problem of differentiation fatigue grows – users lose confidence in assessing the authenticity of information and fall into cynicism.
See articles on a similar topic:
New Technologies in Journalism. PressInstitute Study
BARD
Nearly 39% of journalists use their smartphone or tablet camera to record videos, while over 26% use the built-in camera to take photos that they later publish, according to the "Journalists and New Technologies" study by PressInstitute.
Online News Portal Readers in Poland. Loyalty Analysis
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Among news portals, Onet has the highest number of users. However, in terms of reader loyalty, it falls behind Wirtualna Polska. When looking specifically at news readers, Gazeta takes the lead, though it ranks poorly in Google search positioning.
Books, e-books and audiobooks about the media and for journalists [LINK]
AUTOPROMOCJA Reporterzy.info
Thanks to cooperation with the Amazon, we may suggest you wide offer of great reading opportunity. Studies on the history and media market, interviews, reports and photo guides. Ordering and delivering a book now only takes a few moments. We invite you for a good lecture!
Review of media from around the world. See what they are buzzing about [LINK]
AUTOPROMOCJA Reporterzy.info
What is the media buzzing about? A review of the headlines of the most important newspapers and websites. Events of the day, country, world, media market, economy, sport, foreign media, and even gossip and curiosities. In real time and 24 hours a day. We invite you!