Even if you’re not into virtual AI avatars, you’ve probably heard about robot influencers. Like human media personalities, these entities have made a name for themselves on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Some of them even have amazing deals with major global brands, earning their creators millions of dollars. Let’s dig in and learn more about who these virtual AI influencers actually are and why they attract fans.

What the heck is a Virtual AI Influencer?

AI influencers are all the rage as of late. By using virtual models, savvy entrepreneurs have put a spin on the traditional social media influencers, giving us a sneak peek of things yet to come. The 3D avatars can be modified in any way you see fit, creating archetypes for just about any project (nerdy gamer, cute fashion influencer, aloof comedian – I think you get the picture!) 

Due to their current popularity, using virtual avatars might be more lucrative than hiring real influencers. With these models, you can attract lots of attention without having to spend too much money. Even better, the virtual characters aren’t affected by age, sickness, or medium, allowing you to create entities that will transcend time and space. 

Who is behind the creation of these AI Influencers?

These AI robots are made by all sorts of companies and digital enthusiasts. Many creators use them to promote their online stores, graphic design studios, and other types of businesses. However, there are also a few examples where a model was created to raise awareness regarding a certain environmental or social problem. 

In most cases, a company has a well-laid-out plan for why they’re creating one of these avatars. Their visual appearance is tailor-made for connecting with a certain target audience or accomplishing a company’s business goal. 

Why are companies creating virtual AI Influencers?

The concept of virtual influencers capitalizes on the current artificial intelligence fad. Although it’s hard to tell if the gimmick will still be popular ten years from now, there are a few good reasons why companies use these digital avatars for their marketing.

First and foremost, when you use AI-generated influencers, you have full control of their appearance. For example, you can create beautiful digital supermodels with alluring voices and mannerisms. This is especially important for single entrepreneurs who think their voice and image are inappropriate for social media. It also helps any foreign speaker with an accent or poor English.

Unlike real people, these virtual personalities won’t get your brand in trouble. They won’t start controversies or do anything that would jeopardize your brand. As they’re digital entities, you can easily transfer them to just about any online medium without losing a beat. Even better, with the right technology, they can also participate in real-life events. 

15 Famous Virtual AI Influencers

Interestingly enough, most of the featured AI models were created more than five years ago. Like their human counterparts, it took quite a while for some of them to grab the public’s attention. 

In the following section, I’ll go through the 15 most popular robot influencers, explaining why they became popular, who made them, and what kind of industry they cater to. 

1. Lil Miquela

Lil Miquela, or Miquela Sousa, is a 19-year-old robot of Brazilian descent living in the US. According to rumors, the character was inspired by British supermodel Emily Bado and has been scorching the social media timeline since 2016.

The storyline follows Miquela as she strives to become one of the biggest fashion ambassadors in the world. Some of her more notable content involves projects with Calvin Klein, Prada, and Bella Hadid.

Like many other CGI influencers, Miquela became popular because of the concept’s novelty. Although she has interesting storylines, where she’s portrayed as a singer and fashion critic, the digital influencer became renowned for her cute appearance. Lil Miquela posts in English and was made by Sara DeCou and Trevor McFedries. 

2. Imma

An interesting thing about Imma is that she was the first Japanese virtual avatar. First appearing in 2018, she quickly captivated international audiences with her curiosity and constant questioning of her existence. Besides being a fashion model, Imma shows a keen interest in anything related to Japanese and global music and art.

The main reason why Imma became so popular so quickly has to do with her unique appearance. With a petite build and peculiar pink bob, she stood out from other, more generic virtual entities. The AI-driven influencer was created by ModelingCafe, a CG company from Tokyo.

During her short career, Imma was featured in numerous influencer campaigns, partnering with brands such as Puma, Adidas, Ikea, Porshe, and Balmain. 

3. Lu do Magalu

Lu do Magalu, also known as Lu of Magalu among English speakers, is a Brazilian AI-powered influencer who posts strictly in Portuguese. Being one of the oldest digital humans, dating back to 2009, she was introduced during a Magazine Luiza (Magalu) campaign promoting iBlogTV. Since then, the company has used the model for all sorts of campaigns, including unboxing, software tips, and product reviews.

Lu’s career was directly connected to Magazine Luiza’s business strategy. Over the years, she became the face of the company, being featured in most of their promotional material and on their website. Besides the brand’s campaigns, Lu do Magalu also participated in Brazilian Dancing with the Stars, numerous music videos, and various charitable events. 

Further Reading: AI and Virtual Influencers: What is Their Role in Influencer Marketing? (with examples)

4. Bermuda

Bermuda is one of the most controversial AI-generated models on our list, often being in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. From denying climate change to supporting Trump during his electoral campaign, there’s little this sassy girl won’t do to attract attention. Among other things, she gained notoriety during her turbulent friendship with Miquela. 

Like most entities on the list, Bermuda is mostly known for her involvement in the fashion and music industry. The AI robot was created in 2016 by Brud, the same company that created Miquela and posts exclusively in English. Mercedez Benz and Chanel are just two companies that the virtual model worked with. 

5. Shudu Gram

Shudu Gram is a South African model in her 20s who lives in Great Britain. She is a brainchild of The Diigitals Agency and Cameron James, the same creator who ideated Brenn and Koffi. Unfortunately, this has led to numerous controversies as she was presented as a black female model created by a white man. 

Many AI experts consider Shudu to be the first real digital supermodel. Since her inception in 2017, she has promoted many brands, including Smart Car, Balmain, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. The robot gained popularity in 2018 when Fenty Beauty reposted one of her Instagram posts. 

Among other things, the digital entity became popular for her fight for robot rights. It’s also worth noting that Shudu Gram doesn’t speak in any of her posts. 

6. bee_nfluencer

Bee Influencer is one of the most adorable virtual entities found online. Created by the Fondation de France in 2019, this virtual insect is here to spread the environmental messages to everyone willing to listen. The model took off almost immediately upon inception, becoming popular for its unique appearance and eco-friendly posts.

The foundation posts all the messages in English, trying to reach as many people as possible. With Bee Influencer, the organization tries to protect the French and European bee colonies, which disappear at an alarming rate of 30%. 

Further Reading: How to Become an Influencer (in Any Industry) in 13 Easy Steps

7. Noonoouri

Noonoouri took the world by storm when she was first introduced in 2018 by Joerg Zuber and Opium Effect. Portraying a 19-year-old German girl with massive starry eyes, the model communicates with its audience in German and English. In fact, the cartoonish appearance is what made this digital entity stand out from the likes of Bermuda and Lu do Magalu.

Although most known for her music videos (signed by Warner Music record label), the virtual avatar is also heavily involved in the eco-friendly fashion industry. Over the years, she has partnered with top brands and names such as Donatella Versace, Iris van Herpen, and Zuhair Murad. She is heavily invested in various charitable and environmental work. 

8. Thalasya 

Most people recognize Thalasya as the first Indonesian virtual human who communicates with her audience exclusively in her native tongue. She became popular while traveling the country, acting as a great tourist ambassador for Indonesia. Like many foreign AI models, she eventually found her way to the US, where she did lots of marketing projects. 

For the most part, Thalasya works with tourism and food-related industries and is the official ambassador of Chocolatos ID. However, she also manages Yipiiiii fashion store alongside her friend Zeline. Thalasya was made by Magnavem Studio, while Ind Alliance creates all her music. 

9. Rozy

Rozy, or Rozy Oh, is 21 and hails from Seoul, Korea. She was generated in 2020 by Sidus Studio-X and uses Korean and English to connect to her audience. The thing that makes her stand out from the other models is her hyperrealism; Rozy has unique factual features and expressions that mimic those of human influencers.

If you check her content on social media platforms, you’ll notice that Rozy leads a dynamic lifestyle. Besides being a model, a DJ, and a singer, she also loves all sorts of extreme sports like skateboarding and surfing. Similar to other AI avatars on the list, Rozy also supports various environmental causes.  

Further Reading: Influencer Marketing Strategy for 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

10. K/DA

K/DA was an interesting project made by Riot, a major gaming company from the US. The company gathered some of its major playable characters from League of Legends (Ahri, Akali, Kai’Sa, and Evelynn) and created a music band reminiscent of K-POP groups. As you can presume, all their songs were performed in English by a mix of American and Korean singers. 

The band made its appearance during the 2018 League of Legends World Championship when they had an augmented reality live performance. Their featured song, “Pop/Stars,” immediately took off on social media, becoming the most popular K-POP song debut of all time. Since then, the group has been featured all over the place, and you can get their songs via Spotify and other music platforms. 

11. Qai Qai

Qai Qai was created in 2017 by Invisible Universe while making her social media debut in 2018. The baby AI robot was a gift for Olympia, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s daughter. Presumably, one of the parents is running the account, which mostly focuses on baby-themed content such as nursery songs.

Given the couple’s popularity, the doll gained fame almost instantly upon introduction. One of her main characters is hyperrealism and a large number of expressions for an AI robot. Besides being featured in songs and picture books, Qai Qai was also used as a basis for the same-named dolls. 

Further Reading: 25 Best AI Tools for Marketing and Business

12. Guggimon

This scary, bunny-like character saw the light of day in 2019. Created by Superplastic and Paul Budnitz, the virtual character hails from Montreal, Canada, and doesn’t speak in his videos. In most cases, he is featured alongside Janky, another company’s creation, and you can find him on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Although Guggimon caught attention almost immediately, he went viral after partnering with Cristie’s auction house. After that, the character was also featured in Fortnite as one of the playable skins. As a comedy character, Guggimon is mostly shown exacting violence at Janky in a Tom-and-Jerry fashion. 

13. Any Malu

Somewhere between a cartoon character and a virtual influencer, Any Malu is a Brazilian AI web personality created in 2015.  She speaks Portuguese and English, depending on the audience, and is among the most likable AI characters you can find online. Most of her content involves funky cartoons and sketches, with young kids being the target audience. 

Any Malu was initially meant to be a virtual spokesperson for Combo Estudio, according to the company manager, Marcelo Pereira, the studio intended to showcase its portfolio by creating a digital avatar and sharing it via YouTube. After gaining enormous popularity, the company got a deal from Cartoon Network to feature Any in her own show. 

14. Ion Göttlich

The most famous sports influencer on the list, Ion Göttlich, is an Italian cyclist who stars in his own web show. Built like a truck, he gets caught in all sorts of shenanigans with his sidekick. The character was first shown in 2015 and was made by a South African digital professional, Claudio Pavan. In his skits, Ion doesn’t talk, and most of the comedy revolves around different situations. 

The AI model gained global recognition in 2018 when it was used as a promotional figure for the track cycling World Cup held in France. Later on, Ion was hired as a commentator for Eurosports and was involved in all sorts of sports commercials. 

Further Reading: 16 Compelling Influencer Marketing Examples to Inspire Your Next Campaign

15. Milla Sofia

Milla Sofia is a creation by Amber Raiken, a Finish digital enthusiast. The 24-year-old captivated the world with its beauty, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after AI fashion models. Although the model doesn’t talk, it still makes quite a statement with all her incredible photos. The AI character works as a brand ambassador for a Finish retail store Tyyliluuri. 

Conclusion

The world of AI influencers is a crazy one. Some of these characters are awesome and relatable, while others are heavily criticized for this or that reason. Whatever the case might be, these robots have gained global fame, with many of them appearing in various commercials, songs, and fashion projects. 

Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash