Virtual influencer

Kizuna AI
A representation of Kizuna AI, a Japanese virtual YouTube host, or VTuber for short

A virtual influencer, at times described as a virtual persona or virtual model, is a computer-generated fictional character that can be used for a variety of marketing-related purposes, but most frequently for social media marketing, in lieu of human "influencers". Most virtual influencers are designed using computer graphics and motion capture technology to resemble real people in realistic situations.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Common derivatives of virtual influencers include VTubers, which broadly refer to online entertainers and YouTubers who represent themselves using virtual avatars instead of their physical selves. A study by Gerlich (2023)[7] showed that the acceptance of virtual influencers is steadily increasing.

  1. ^ Hsu, Tiffany (17 June 2019). "These Influencers Aren't Flesh and Blood, Yet Millions Follow Them". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  2. ^ Tayenaka, Torrey (31 July 2020). "CGI-Created Virtual Influencers Are the New Trend in Social Media Marketing". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Inside the mind of virtual influencer Rae: "If I want, almost everything I imagine can become a reality"". sg.news.yahoo.com. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. ^ "The Rise of the Virtual Being". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Fixing Social Media – MAS S.67 // Spring 2020". Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  6. ^ "I Am a Model and I Know That Artificial Intelligence Will Eventually Take My Job". Vogue. 21 July 2020.
  7. ^ Gerlich, Michael (2023). "The Power of Virtual Influencers: Impact on Consumer Behaviour and Attitudes in the Age of AI". Administrative Sciences. 13(8). doi:10.3390/admsci13080178.