About

“What is (still) real? - The brave new world of AI influencers.”

Lil Miquela and Aitana Lopez have millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, collaborate with Prada and BMW, and campaign for human rights and sustainability. They are so-called “AI influencers,” protagonists of a social media profile created entirely with generative artificial intelligence. AI tools are increasingly used in influencer marketing to optimize processes, write posts, and communicate with followers. Will AI influencers replace real influencers in the short or long term? What advantages do advertising companies hope to gain from such cooperations, and how do their followers accept AI influencers in the first place? After all, credibility and authenticity are considered the decisive factors for the success of influencer marketing. How will we deal with the fact that the distinction between real and simulated will become increasingly fluid and difficult to recognize?

Prof. Dr. Amelie Duckwitz is a professor of media and web science at TH Köln. She teaches social media, content strategy, and user experience. Her research focuses on success factors in influencer marketing, influencers in political communication, and AI-generated influencers, which she is currently developing herself together with her students in a teaching project. More about our speaker on https://www.th-koeln.de/en/person/amelie.duckwitz/