Virtual Influencers: How AI opens new opportunities for digital marketing
Mar 5, 2025
Have you ever seen an influencer who is available 24/7, never gets tired, always looks perfect, and can instantly adapt to any trend? Just a few years ago, such a character might have been the protagonist of a Black Mirror episode, but today, it’s a reality. We’re talking about virtual influencers — a new marketing tool made possible by artificial intelligence.
What are virtual influencers, and why do brands need them?
Virtual influencers are content creators that exist solely in the digital space. They are partially or entirely generated by AI and produce content for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and even Spotify.
The world already has successful digital influencers. One of the first was Lil Miquela, an generated girl who appeared in 2016 and now has over 2 million Instagram followers. She collaborates with major brands like Prada, Samsung, and BMW. Japan’s virtual model Imma has been featured in campaigns for Porsche and IKEA and even launched her own clothing line, Astral Body. The company SNRG created its own AI influencer, Merry Mitchell, who discusses AI’s impact on our lives and showcases its capabilities.
Virtual influencers provide brands with complete control over promotional content, enable bold experiments with minimal reputational risks, and reduce marketing costs by eliminating the need for expensive celebrity endorsements.
The advantages of AI-Generated influencers
Virtual influencers give businesses greater control over how their brand is represented in marketing campaigns. Imagine launching a campaign with real-life influencers — this often involves significant reputational, financial, and logistical risks. Influencers may become embroiled in scandals, damaging your brand’s image, miss deadlines, or refuse to share a piece of control over the content they post.
Virtual influencers eliminate these issues. Behind their flawless appearance is not a team of human managers but cutting-edge AI technology that generates realistic images, mimics human speech, and even analyzes audience behavior. AI is making these digital personalities more human-like — engaging, memorable, and, most importantly, influential.
Why this industry has growth potential
According to HypeAuditor, virtual influencers are penetrating nearly every industry — from fast food to luxury fashion — helping brands promote their products. Studies show that digital characters generate three times higher user engagement than human influencers.
Their primary audience consists of women aged 18 to 24 (32.1%), while Gen Z users aged 13 to 17 make up 11.2%. The strongest interest in virtual influencers is observed in the U.S., Brazil, Italy, Turkey, and Russia.
The potential is massive, and the industry is only growing. In the near future, AI influencers will likely become more autonomous. Currently, no fully independent virtual influencer exists — humans still determine their storylines, generate visuals, and interact with audiences. However, given rapid technological advancements, self-sustaining AI influencers are on the horizon. This could further drive the growth of AR/VR environments, where virtual personalities would fit seamlessly.
Challenges of virtual influencers
Despite their advantages, virtual influencers pose several challenges for brands.
Ethical Concerns
AI-generated characters don’t age, don’t work difficult jobs, and don’t spend money on travel, yet they promote an image of a luxurious lifestyle. This could distort social norms and affect audience perceptions of reality. Brands need to be mindful of the impact their AI influencers create.
Lack of Authentic Emotions
AI influencers cannot experience real emotions. Their expressions of joy, sadness, or excitement are merely simulations. Over time, audiences might detect this artificiality, leading to a loss of trust. Brands must pay special attention to emotional engagement in their AI-driven campaigns.
Technical and Financial Barriers
Creating hyper-realistic digital personas requires significant computing power and investments in a skilled team — engineers, copywriters, designers, and more. Depending on the region, the costs can be substantial, with some companies spending up to $20,000 per month on maintaining a virtual influencer.
The future of the industry
What’s next? As AI continues to evolve, new possibilities will emerge:
Trend Prediction: AI algorithms will analyze audience behavior in real time and generate content that aligns with current trends.
Interactive Content: AI influencers will engage with followers through chatbots and voice assistants, strengthening brand communities.
Augmented Reality and the Metaverse: These technologies will integrate virtual influencers into everyday life, making them an even more natural part of digital ecosystems.
Virtual influencers are more than just a passing trend — they represent the next step in the evolution of digital marketing. AI has already transformed content creation, personalization, and audience engagement. Brands that embrace this technology early will gain a unique competitive edge.
As AI advances, we will see increasingly realistic, intelligent, and adaptive digital personalities. Those who recognize and invest in this shift today will be the ones to profit the most in the future.