Key Takeaways:
- The rise of AI-generated content on social media is changing the influencer economy
- AI creators can produce high-quality content quickly and cheaply, potentially disrupting traditional influencers
- AI videos can be hyper-realistic, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between real and fake content
- The use of AI in social media raises concerns about misinformation, scams, and media literacy
- AI-generated content can also democratize the creation of viral content, allowing anyone to produce high-quality videos
Introduction to AI Influencers
The world of social media influencing has been turned upside down with the rise of AI-generated content. Creators like Simone Mckenzie are using AI chatbots like Google Veo 3 to produce high-quality videos that are indistinguishable from reality. Mckenzie’s AI influencer, Gigi, has gained millions of views and earned her thousands of dollars in just a few months. Gigi’s videos feature her eating, doing skin care, and putting on lipstick, but with a twist – she can also eat pizza made out of molten lava and apply snowflakes and cotton candy as lip gloss.
The Rise of AI Slop
Experts say that this genre of content, dubbed "AI slop" by some critics, is taking over social media feeds. The use of AI to generate content is surging, and it’s likely to continue. Jessa Lingel, associate professor and digital culture expert at the University of Pennsylvania, says that AI has the potential to disrupt the lucrative influencer economy. Traditional influencers like Kaaviya Sambasivam, who has 1.3 million followers across multiple platforms, are finding it difficult to compete with AI creators who can produce high-quality content quickly and cheaply.
The Impact on Traditional Influencers
Sambasivam says that she can’t compete with AI creators who can produce multiple videos per day. She spends hours planning, shooting, and editing her videos, while AI creators can skip nearly all of those steps. Mckenzie, on the other hand, says that she considered being a traditional influencer, but didn’t have the money, time, or setup. She created Gigi using Google Veo 3, and her videos have been viewed millions of times. The rise of AI-generated content raises questions about the future of traditional influencing and whether human influencers can compete with the speed and efficiency of AI.
The History of Digital Alterations
Digital alterations are not new, says Brooke Duffy, a digital and social media scholar at Cornell University. Programs like Photoshop and FaceTune have been used for years to edit images and videos. However, the use of AI to generate hyper-realistic videos is a relatively new phenomenon. The main precursor to today’s AI videos were celebrity deepfakes, which emerged in the late 2010s. However, AI videos are now more realistic and can spread faster than ever before.
The Potential of AI-Generated Content
AI-generated content can be mesmerizing, offering cartoonish, exaggerated material that captures viewers’ attention. It can also democratize the creation of viral content, allowing anyone to produce high-quality videos. Daniel Riley, a 27-year-old AI content creator, has earned nearly 600,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views with his "time travel" videos. He’s also developed a bootcamp to teach others how to make similar AI videos for a monthly fee.
The Concerns of Misinformation and Media Literacy
However, the use of AI in social media raises concerns about misinformation, scams, and media literacy. Lingel says that AI videos that are almost indistinguishable from reality pose a real problem, especially for young kids who don’t yet have media literacy. The question is whether human discernment can keep up with rapidly improving technology. A Harvard University study indicated that among AI users between the ages of 14-22, many say they use it to generate things like images and music. However, it’s unclear whether viewers can distinguish between real and fake content, and whether AI-generated content will lead to a rise in misinformation and scams.
The Future of AI-Generated Content
As AI technology continues to improve, it’s likely that we’ll see more and more AI-generated content on social media. The question is whether traditional influencers can adapt to this new landscape and whether viewers will be able to distinguish between real and fake content. One thing is certain – the rise of AI-generated content is changing the influencer economy and the way we consume media. As Mckenzie says, "It’s become, in some ways, a form of meme culture." Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – AI-generated content is here to stay.