Virtual Influencers are making human connections in South Korea.

Virtual Influencers are making human connections in South Korea. Rozy has 140K followers on Instagram, and not all of them knew right away that she wasn’t a real person. The virtual influencer was created by Sidus Studio X, and she behaves as any other influencer does—she travels, models, and even comments on other posts. But, she’s never going to be found stuck in a scandal. For brands, virtual influencers are attractive because of this security, and cost less to hire while having as much personal influence as any other. For the team behind an AI influencer, a product post could take as little as a few hours to render. YPulse’s Celebrities and Influencers report data shows that 43% of Gen Z and Millennials say they are more likely to buy something if their favorite online celebrity recommended it, which is why less youth-driven brands like banks and insurance firms are choosing to work with these influencers. The issue some have with Rozy, and other AI influencers like her in South Korea, is the uniformity of their look, which adheres to mainstream beauty standards. One expert says other AI influencers around the world have a “uniqueness” that reflects diversity in the countries they come from, and fear that without it, these South Korean influencers could reinforce truly unattainable beauty standards. (CNN)