Top AI Influencers in 2024 With a Massive Number of Followers
Scrolling on your social media, you may see accounts that don’t belong to real humans, but belong to AI-generated ones. These accounts may look quite real until you see the word “AI” in their bio. AI models earn money, give interviews, work, and ‘live’. Some of them even have massive followings. In this article, we’ll mention 5 of the most popular AI influencers in 2024.
5 Popular AI Influencers in 2024
Behind all AI influencers there’s a person or a team that has created a character while deciding on how they look, what personality they have, what content they post and how they interact with others. Their looks and speech are powered by technologies like 3D modeling and AI programming.
Whether an AI influencer will go viral or not depends on their appearance, content, industry partnerships, personal brand marketing and if they are likable. The below 5 digital humans have succeeded in building their audiences.
1.Miquela
Miquela’s account. Source: instagram.com
At the time of writing, Miquela - full name Miquela Sousa, has around 2.5 million followers on Instagram. The virtual model was released in 2016 by a Los Angeles-based creative agency Brud. Miquela is a Brazilian-American who looks like a doll, travels, tries food, partners with brands, works and lives. All pretend, of course. In 2018, Miquela was on TIME Magazine’s list of 25 most influential people on the Internet alongside names like Rihanna, former President Trump, Ye and others. Previously, she took part in the Prada fashion show, was featured in the Calvin Klein campaign with Bella Hadid, and was the face of Pacsun for its back-to-school and holiday campaign.
2. Aitana Lopez
Aitana’s account. Source: instagram.com
Aitana is an AI model from Spain created by modeling agency The Clueless in 2023. The pink-haired influencer has a distinctive personality: she’s dedicated to a fitness lifestyle and loves video games. Aitana’s creators told Euronews that the model can earn up to €10,000 a month but the average is around €3,000 with the cost for a single ad ranging around €1,000. Aitana has around 324,000 followers on Instagram and was the face of the sports supplement company Big. Rubén Cruz, Aitana’s designer and the founder of The Clueless said they created the model to not depend on influencers. Cruz added that previously many of the agency’s projects were being delayed or canceled because of influencers and their work ethics. So the agency created Aitana, which, according to Cruz allows them to “make a better living and not be dependent on other people who have egos or want to make a lot of money by posing.”
3. Shudu
Shudu’s account. Source: instagram.com
The world’s first AI-generated supermodel, Shudu looks realistic and perfect. Since April 2017, she has been featured in fashion magazines and various shows. In February 2019, Shudu made her first red-carpet appearance at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) wearing a Swarovski gown. She took part in campaigns for Balmain, Ellesse, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, and other brands. Shudu’s creator is visual artist and former photographer Cameron-James Wilson, who worked with supermodels like Gigi Hadid. According to an article by Elle, during his career as a fashion photographer, Wilson learned to add natural imperfections to photos such as pores and hyperpigmentation. These features make Shudu look realistic, unlike many fashion images that are often unrealistic and quite retouched, according to Wilson.
3. Liam Nikuro
Liam was created by the Japanese company 1SEC in 2019. According to the model’s bio, his mother is from Japan and his father is from America. Liam was designed to work in the fields of music, fashion, and entertainment and to produce creative content, as stated in a local media post. As of 2024, Liam hasn’t been very active on Instagram. His last post was on July 13, in the form of a text conversation video, where the model mentioned he’ll improve his technology and return to social media.
4. Lu Do Magalu
Lu Do Magalu’s account. Source: instagram.com
Lu Do Magalu’s story as a Brazilian digital influencer began in 2003 when she was the voice of the e-commerce website of Magazine Luiza. Initially, Magalu served as a virtual assistant for users, but over time, her functions and appearance evolved, becoming more realistic. The AI influencer now has over 7 million followers on Instagram. Her job titles include “3D Virtual Influencer,” “Digital Specialist,” and “Content Creator.” Lu Do Magalu has partnered with several large brands, including Samsung, Burger King, Adidas, and others.
Will AI Influencers Take Over Social Media?
Being digital doesn’t prevent AI humans from having millions of followers and high engagement. Just like humans, AI-generated influencers have their own personalities and lead different lives—though all programmed. Over time, virtual humans are becoming more and more indistinguishable from real ones. In 2024, however, AI influencers have not yet matched the popularity of human influencers. None of the accounts on our list has reached 10 million followers, while influencers like Kim Kardashian have hundreds of millions of followers. This may be because human experiences are more relatable, or perhaps social media users are still adapting to the presence of AI personas. Regardless, digital humans deserve credit for serving as a new tool for marketing and freshening up the industry. The number of AI influencers is growing, and they will likely appear on social media feeds more frequently, bringing new perspectives and diversity.
Anahit Avetisyan
Author
Web3 writer and crypto HODLer with a keen interest in market trends and recent technologies.
