Thought Experiment: Could AI Influencers Be Good?

I recently found myself captivated by an AI influencer company's advertisement. The content was polished and the visuals believable. A creeping sense of unease washed over me. While the technology is not quite ready for primetime, in my opinion, it's not far off. And what would that mean?

If this technology exists now, what will it be capable of in a year? Five years? I imagined a future where we couldn't trust anything we saw online, where deep fakes ran rampant, and where human connection was eroded by an army of artificial personalities designed to manipulate our emotions and behaviors.

This visceral reaction – a mixture of shock, fear, and existential dread – is likely familiar to many of you. It's a natural response to a technology that seems to challenge our fundamental understanding of reality and human interaction. And let's be clear: these concerns are valid. The potential for misuse of AI-generated content is significant and shouldn't be dismissed.

But as I sat with these thoughts, I realized I was falling into a familiar trap – one that I've cautioned against before. I was letting my immediate emotional response focus solely on the potential downsides without considering the possible benefits or opportunities this technology might present.

Let's assume it will be difficult if not impossible to stop the misuse of the technology. We've seen that historically. I think it's therefore vital for us not just to point, criticize, sue, and regulate all the bad that can happen and focus on creating the positive use cases of the technology.

So, I decided to challenge myself. What if, instead of fixating on dystopian scenarios, I explored the potential upsides of AI influencers? What if this technology, like so many before it, has the potential to democratize expression and create new opportunities for connection?

This newsletter is the result of that thought experiment. It's an attempt to look beyond our initial reactions and consider the ways in which AI influencers might reshape our digital landscape in positive ways. As we explore these possibilities, remember that we're dealing with hypotheticals. Just as we couldn't have predicted the rise of TikTok stars a decade ago, we can't know for certain how AI will transform social media in the coming years.

The Current Landscape of Social Media Influence

Before we dive into the potential of AI influencers, let's examine the current state of social media influence. An influencer is someone who has built a following on social media platforms by sharing content that resonates with a specific audience. This content can range from fashion tips and travel photos to political commentary and educational videos.

What's fascinating – and somewhat concerning – about the current influencer landscape is the disproportionate impact of a relatively small number of content creators. Think about your own social media habits. How much content do you consume versus create? If you're like most people, including myself, you probably spend far more time scrolling through other people's posts than creating your own.

I'll share a personal example. Despite working in music, film/tv, and podcasts for years – nevermind my personal obsession with them all – I rarely post on social media. It's not that I don't have thoughts or experiences to share. Rather, I feel a sense of discomfort when it comes to putting myself out there visually. I'm self-conscious about how I look on camera and how I sound in recordings. This discomfort has led me to mostly consume content rather than create it.

This dynamic – where a small percentage of users create content for a vast audience of consumers – has led to a concentration of influence in the hands of a few. These influencers have an outsized impact on our cultural conversations and consumer behaviors.

Redefining Influence: Beyond Follower Counts

When we hear the term "influencer," our minds often jump to social media celebrities with millions of followers, sponsorship deals, and carefully curated feeds. But as we consider the potential of AI influencers, it's crucial to broaden our understanding of what influence truly means and how it manifests in our lives.

Influence, at its core, is about impact. It's about the ability to shape thoughts, behaviors, or decisions. And while reach is certainly one aspect of influence, it's far from the only one. In fact, some of the most profound influences in our lives often come from people with relatively small audiences – our parents, teachers, mentors, or close friends.

Consider a dedicated high school basketball coach who might only work with a few dozen students each year, but their influence on those young athletes' lives can be immeasurable. Through an AI avatar, this coach could create personalized training videos, offer motivation, and provide guidance to a wider range of students, amplifying their positive impact without losing the personal touch that makes them effective.

Or think about a skilled therapist in a small town who might only see a handful of clients each week, but their influence on those individuals' mental health and well-being is profound. With AI technology, they could create interactive therapy modules or guided meditation sessions, extending their reach to those who might not have access to in-person therapy.

These examples challenge us to reconsider what we value in influencers. Is it merely the size of their audience, or is it the depth and quality of their impact? As AI democratizes content creation, we have an opportunity to elevate voices that might otherwise go unheard and to recognize forms of influence that have been undervalued in the age of viral content and social media metrics.

The Potential of AI Influencers: A New Form of Self-Expression

Now, let's consider how AI influencers could change this landscape. What if we reframe the concept? What if AI influencers could be a tool for authentic self-expression, especially for those who struggle with traditional forms of social media content creation?

Consider this hypothetical scenario: A brilliant data scientist has insights that could benefit a wide audience, but she's intensely camera-shy and struggles with public speaking. With AI technology, she could create an avatar that presents her ideas visually, using her own words and personality, without the need to appear on camera herself. The content and ideas would be entirely her own, but the visual presentation would be handled by AI.

This scenario isn't about replacing human creativity or authenticity. Instead, it's about providing new tools for self-expression. It's akin to how writing allowed people to share ideas beyond the limitations of face-to-face communication, or how radio enabled voices to reach vast audiences without the need for physical presence.

The Evolution of Digital Identity

To truly understand the implications of AI influencers, we need to grapple with a fundamental question: What does it mean to have a digital identity in the age of social media? This question becomes even more complex when we consider how our online personas often differ from our offline selves.

Let's consider an unexpected parallel: politicians. When I worked as an intern on Capitol Hill years ago, I was struck by the complex balancing act that politicians must perform. They need to reconcile their personal beliefs with the needs and wants of their constituents, all while navigating the practical realities of getting elected and re-elected. It's a constant negotiation between authenticity, representation, and pragmatism.

In my experience, most people in Washington DC genuinely believe in making a difference. But to be a politician, you first have to get elected. This often requires aligning your own point of view and values with those of the people you're asking to represent. If one-third of a politician's messaging is about their core beliefs, another third might be about proposed policies to represent their constituency, and the final third could be what they need to say to get elected.

Even after the election, the balancing act continues. How do you stay elected? What do your colleagues think and how does leadership want you to vote? What do your different constituencies want? What about lobbyists? The North Star of wanting to make a difference might still exist, but it gets meshed with all these other considerations.

In many ways, social media users – especially influencers – face a similar challenge. We're constantly making decisions about what to share, how to present ourselves, and how to engage with our audience. We curate our digital selves, often unconsciously, based on the feedback we receive in the form of likes, comments, and follows.

Democratizing Content Creation

One of the most exciting potential outcomes of AI is the democratization of content creation. Currently, creating high-quality, engaging visual content for social media requires a combination of skills that not everyone possesses: comfort on camera, video editing abilities, an eye for aesthetics, and often, a certain type of physical appearance that's deemed "influencer-worthy" by societal standards.

These requirements create a high barrier to entry, which is why we see a relatively small percentage of users creating the majority of content. But what if AI could lower these barriers? Imagine a world where anyone with a smartphone could create professional-quality video content, complete with engaging visuals, without ever having to step in front of a camera. A world where your ideas and personality could be translated into compelling visual content, regardless of your appearance, accent, or comfort level with public speaking.

This could lead to a much more diverse range of voices and perspectives in our social media landscape. We might hear from experts who have invaluable knowledge to share but have been hesitant to create video content. We might see creative ideas from individuals who have felt excluded from visual platforms due to societal beauty standards.

The Rapidly Changing Landscape of Social Media

When I joined Facebook in 2004, it was still exclusive to college students. I remember the thrill of connecting with classmates. Fast forward to today, and my friend's kids are creating elaborate TikTok dances, parents are debating politics on Twitter, and I'm getting cooking inspiration from Instagram Reels.

This personal evolution mirrors the broader transformation of social media. In less than two decades, we've seen the rise and fall of MySpace, Facebook's transformation from a college network to a global behemoth, the birth of the hashtag on Twitter and its spread across platforms, the shift from text to image-based content with Instagram, and the explosion of short-form video content with Vine, then Musical.ly, and now TikTok.

Each of these shifts seemed monumental at the time, yet they pale in comparison to the potential impact of AI influencers. If my college self couldn't imagine TikTok, how can we possibly predict what AI might bring to social media in the next decade?

In the early days of social media, influence was a numbers game. More followers meant more influence. But as we step into the AI era, this paradigm is being turned on its head.

Consider the evolution: 2010: A fashion influencer with 1 million followers could command $10,000 per post. 2020: Micro-influencers with 10,000 highly engaged followers could earn the same for more targeted reach. 2025 (projected): An AI-powered fashion advisor could provide personalized style recommendations to millions, tailored to each individual's preferences, body type, and budget.

This shift is already beginning. Take the case of Lil Miquela, a CGI influencer with over 2.5 million Instagram followers. Despite being openly artificial, she's partnered with brands like Calvin Klein Dior, BMW, Prada. Her influence isn't about authenticity in the traditional sense, but about resonance with her audience.

This evolution challenges us to reconsider what we value in digital interactions. 

Balancing Act: Opportunities and Challenges

It's clear that this technology is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it offers the opportunity to unleash creativity without boundaries. Imagine a world where your ideas can take center stage, unencumbered by physical appearance or performance anxiety. AI influencers could be the great equalizer, allowing brilliant minds who might otherwise shy away from the spotlight to share their insights with the world. But this raises a question: If we remove the human face from influence, do we risk losing something essential in our connections?

We also face the challenge of the authenticity paradox. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, we may find ourselves in a paradoxical situation. On one hand, people might feel more comfortable expressing their true selves through an AI avatar. On the other, how do we ensure transparency and maintain trust when the line between human and AI-generated content becomes blurred? It's a delicate balance between empowering authentic expression and potentially enabling deception.

There's also the opportunity for global conversations without borders. AI's ability to translate and localize content in real-time could break down language barriers, allowing ideas to spread globally with unprecedented ease. A teenager in Tokyo could share her passion for climate activism with peers in São Paulo, fostering global understanding and collaboration. But as our world becomes more connected, how do we preserve cultural nuances and prevent the homogenization of global discourse?

Finally, we must grapple with the potential for an enhanced echo chamber effect. As AI gets better at personalizing content, we risk creating even more potent echo chambers. If AI influencers can adapt their message to perfectly resonate with each individual viewer, how do we ensure exposure to diverse perspectives? The challenge lies in harnessing AI's power to connect people while still encouraging encounters with different viewpoints.

Navigating Uncharted Waters

As I wrap up this thought experiment, I find myself still grappling with mixed emotions. I can't shake a lingering sense of unease and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it all.

The darker implications of this technology still weigh heavily on my mind. The potential for manipulation, psychological and physical harm, the erosion of trust, the further blurring of reality in our digital spaces – these are not trivial concerns. If anything, exploring this topic has reinforced my belief in the need for vigilance, robust protections, and yes, even age restrictions when it comes to AI-generated content.

Yet, I can't ignore the reality that this technology is developing rapidly, with or without our approval. The genie is out of the bottle. So while we absolutely need to address the risks and potential misuses, I believe we also have a responsibility to explore and shape the positive applications of this technology.

As someone deeply invested in creative industries, I feel a particular urgency to engage with these new tools. Our fields have always been at the forefront of experimentation and expression. So what does that look like in the age of AI and social media? I'll be honest – I'm not entirely sure.

Perhaps it means finding ways to use AI to amplify underrepresented voices or to make content creation more accessible to those who've been excluded from traditional platforms. Maybe it involves developing new forms of storytelling that blend human creativity with AI capabilities in ways we haven't yet imagined. Or it could be about using AI to foster more meaningful connections in our increasingly digital world.

What I do know is that sitting on the sidelines isn't an option. We need to be actively involved in shaping this technology, guiding its development in ways that align with our values and enhance rather than detract from human connection and creativity.

I don't have all the answers. In fact, this exploration has left me with more questions than when I started. But I believe these are questions worth grappling with, conversations worth having.  I personally want to lean into and challenge the discomfort I first felt when I was exposed to AI-Influencers. The misuse of this technology will occur whether it angers us or not. So let's challenge our own assumptions with a balance of caution and curiosity, always striving to harness technology in ways that enrich our human experience.