"When Spanish model Aitana López first appeared on Instagram, her flawless pink hair and perfectly curated lifestyle posts quickly attracted thousands of followers and brand collaborations. But there's one twist: Aitana isn't real. She's a computer-generated influencer created by a design agency, reportedly earning up to 10,000 euros per month in partnerships. Yet people comment on her posts as if she were a friend."
"The global virtual influencer market was valued at approximately $6 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach over $45 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 40.8%. Clearly, audiences are interested in engaging with artificial identities. That reality raises an uncomfortable question for brands: If authenticity has always been marketing's holy grail, why are people engaging with and seemingly trusting what they know isn't human?"
"Every aspect of an AI-generated influencer's persona, from tone and language to posting habits, is carefully designed to evoke the emotions that drive engagement. According to the 2025 Twimbit "State of Virtual Influencers" report, virtual creators often outperform human influencers in engagement-likely because their content is tailored to emotional triggers that resonate with audiences. This phenomenon, sometimes called algorithmic empathy, reflects how AI interprets human behavior as data."
A computer-generated influencer named Aitana López amassed thousands of followers and brand partnerships despite being artificial, with reported earnings up to 10,000 euros monthly. The global virtual influencer market reached about $6 billion in 2024 and projects to exceed $45 billion by 2030, growing at a 40.8% CAGR. Audiences increasingly engage with artificial identities and respond to emotional impact rather than the creator's humanity. Authenticity now emphasizes felt emotional connection over biological origin. AI-designed personas use tone, language, and posting patterns to trigger engagement. Algorithmic empathy enables platforms to optimize content by analyzing likes, comments, shares, and watch time to identify emotional drivers.
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