The creator economy is growing rapidly. There are about 207 million creators worldwide. Reports suggest that this sector will grow to $528.39 billion by 2030. But beyond the current influencer marketing, brands and retailers are turning to new technologies. One of the most important of these is virtual influencers.

Virtual influencers

Virtual influencers are inanimate, computer-generated individuals. They have a large following on social media, just like real influencers. They make money through advertisements and product promotions. Big companies like TikTok and Meta are investing heavily in this space.

There are two types of virtual influencers. One, completely new characters. Two, digital avatars of real people.

First arrived in China

The first to arrive was China, where completely new characters, virtual influencers, first appeared. The appearance, manner of speaking, age, and place of residence of these characters are all decided by brands or influencer companies.

For example, a company called Tmall introduced a virtual influencer named AYAYI as the face of their brand, and other virtual influencers like @lilmiquela exist on their own and get brand deals.

There is another reason for their arrival in China. There were several celebrity controversies in 2018 and 2019. The sexual assault case against rapper Chris Wu was one of the most prominent. Wu had several advertising contracts with brands ranging from Balenciaga to Coach. The controversy posed a huge risk to brands.

Since virtual influencers are fictional characters, they are not likely to be involved in sexual assault cases, say the wrong things, or get canceled. They operate in a safe space.

Celebrity avatars

Celebrity avatars, digital representations of celebrities, are also becoming virtual influencers. This helps in more efficient product placement and the creation of new content. These digital avatars are created using data from real people.

Singer FKA Twigs created a digital avatar called AI Twigs to manage her Instagram account and have conversations with fans. Last year, she developed a deepfake version of herself. Concerns about AI have been raised, the singer said in a statement to the U. S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee. "I will be using 'AI Twigs' to manage my social media engagement later this year while I sit in my studio and focus on my art."

Benefits of this technology

There are many benefits to this technology. They can interact with fans on a large scale using their own appearance, voice, and. They can decide where, when and how to use this AI.

Talent agencies like Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents major celebrities from Chris Rock to Ariana Grande, are recognizing these benefits and are trying to develop virtual avatars based on their high-profile clients.

Experts say that creating digital likenesses of celebrities and other prominent figures leads to a more accessible version of that person. This is their digital identity. It was created with their consent, and they want to create an avatar of themselves to make it more accessible to the general public.

Taylor Swift is cited as an example. Swift, one of the world's most in-demand artists, can't always interact with all her fans. But an AI version of her can use her appearance to give fans the connection they want.

When you chat with these avatars on Instagram or TikTok, you're not chatting with them, but with a chatbot version of them that has been given a personality. It feels like you're chatting with them. Some users like it. They enjoy the experience of interacting with someone they admire.

Celebrities can also make money by creating digital avatars. AI helps build relationships on a large scale. If they have a digital avatar, they can be everywhere and stay connected with fans or customers.