Vogue reports the emergence of AI influencer marketing agencies, masked as the dawn of a "post-follower" era. But to me, it's nothing more than a flashy scam. Frankly, any marketer pouring money into this is out of their mind.
AI influencers? They're just data-hungry hyenas. Their so-called "personalized" marketing is just hoovering up user data and shoving it into algorithms. Like RAG technology, they regurgitate existing databases into predictable outputs. The problem is the lack of transparency about where this data comes from and how it's used. The potential for secretly siphoning off personal information for advertising is enormous.
Differentiation from the existing influencer market? Please. Can an AI, devoid of any human charm, really move consumers? More likely, it'll just trigger disgust. Humans connect with emotions, immerse themselves in stories, and respond to authenticity. AI can never replicate that. And while these agencies claim not to care about follower counts, they'll ultimately fixate on vanity metrics like views and click-through rates.
The bigger problem is the potential for data monopolies. If a single agency dominates the AI influencer market, it'll control massive amounts of user data. This will stifle competition and drive up advertising costs, much like a company with a giant LLM model dominating the AI ecosystem. Furthermore, AI influencers spreading misinformation or biased opinions could cause social problems. Accountability is unclear, and consumers will bear the brunt of the damage.
Looking at past tech trends: Metaverse, NFTs, Web3... all bubbles hidden behind shiny wrappers, reeking of money. AI influencers are likely to follow the same path. Especially with the rise of On-Device AI, consumers are increasingly aware of privacy concerns. In this environment, AI influencer marketing that blatantly collects data will lose its footing.
Honestly, AI influencer agencies are just a desperate ploy reflecting the marketing industry's insecurity. It's a forced illusion created to meet the pressure of delivering something "new" in a changing world. If you want to make money, invest in authentic content and human interaction instead of AI influencers. That will bring a much bigger ROI in the long run. AI influencer marketing is just shiny garbage. Wake up.