🧠 Issue #24 – The Human Rebellion Against AI Influencers

🔍 The Spark

YouTube comments aren’t known for nuance. But one response on a recent AI marketing trends video struck a nerve—and maybe a deeper truth:

It wasn’t just snark. The subcomments exploded—some mocking, others resonating. A line had been drawn between technological efficiency… and human authenticity.

💡 The Insight

AI influencers are on the rise—fast. In 2023, virtual influencers like Lil Miquela generated millions in brand deals. A Deloitte study predicts that by 2026, over 30% of influencer marketing campaigns will involve AI-generated personas. They’re attractive, tireless, brand-safe—and completely fictional.

But there’s growing pushback. Because while AI can replicate appearance and delivery, it can’t replicate experience.

And that’s what’s beginning to matter more.

According to Pew Research, over 72% of Gen Z and Millennials say they crave "authentic content"—not just polished perfection. In fact, imperfection and human messiness are often what drive engagement.

So when a virtual influencer promotes a skincare routine or a luxury resort, the question becomes:

🤯 The Tension

Here’s the paradox:

• AI influencers are cheaper, scalable, and consistent.

• But human influencers—flawed, unpredictable, real—build trust.

The backlash may not be against AI itself, but against hollow storytelling. Against content that sounds right but feels empty. We're beginning to notice the uncanny valley not just in faces—but in language, emotion, and recommendation.

It’s not enough for an AI avatar to look human. If it hasn’t lived, can it really connect?

🧭 The Human Prompt

Next time you see a post online that makes you pause, ask:
Was this created by someone who's ever felt what I feel?
And if not… why does that matter to me?

Because maybe we don’t just want influence. Maybe we want shared experience. A voice that comes not from a prompt, but from a life lived.

🔗 Curiosity Clicks

1. The Rise of Virtual Influencers – Sprout Social
   A deep dive into how brands are using AI personas and why some users are starting to push back.
   

2. Do you create your content yourself? Using generative artificial intelligence for social media content creation diminishes perceived brand authenticity – ScienceDirect
   Breaks down why human-led storytelling still outperforms AI-led promotion in terms of consumer trust.
   

3. What We Know About Gen Z So Far – Pew Research Center
   Highlights how younger generations define "realness" and why they're tuning out algorithmic gloss.
   

💬 Quote That Hits

"If a virtual influencer tells you to try something they've never felt, tasted, or endured—what are they influencing, really? And who?" — A skeptical scroll through the algorithm+

🤔 Worth Considering

There’s an AI arms race happening in marketing right now. But the real race might be back to something simpler:
Trust. Imperfection. Reality.

AI isn’t the enemy here. Low-effort, soulless content is.
And as users, we still get to decide what earns our attention.

The brands that win won’t be the ones who deploy the most bots.
They’ll be the ones that remind us there’s a person behind the post.
Or at the very least—someone who’s actually been there.

More soon,
— Jesse

UPCOMING:

This Wednesday, I’ll be publishing my first Deep Dive!

I’ll be analyzing Amazon's AI workforce announcement through our Human Impact lens. What does it really mean for 1.5M workers and their families?