Virtual Thirst Traps: Inside the Haunting World of AI-Generated Influencers
July 23, 2023
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12:41Now PlayingVirtual Thirst Traps: Inside the Haunting World of AI-Generated Influencers
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelThe AI craze has now extended to influencer culture, with the use of AI-powered image generators creating entire feeds of virtual personalities, mostly conventionally attractive women, who don't actually exist, amassing substantial followings and engaging in typical influencer activities, leading to a fascinating and sometimes unsettling journey through the uncanny valley. John Iadarola and Brett Erlich break it down on The Damage Report.
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"For years, CGI-generated virtual influencers have been shilling brands, enjoying lavish lifestyles, and amassing substantial followings on social media.
So it was probably inevitable that influencer culture would soon be sucked into the AI craze. Indeed, earlier this year, one influencer created an AI chatbot version of herself that she rented out as a $1-per-minute "virtual girlfriend."
Now things are getting even weirder. Thanks to the advent of AI-powered image generators like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, some are now fabricating entire feeds of internet personalities that don't actually exist.
The result is a fascinating journey through the uncanny valley: haunting Twitter and Instagram feeds showing these AI-generated influencers — virtually all taking the form of conventionally attracted women — posing and preening in virtual thirst traps, to the delight of sometimes tens of thousands of seemingly human fans. Maybe we can't blame them; aside from considerable amounts of skin-smoothing and repetitive backgrounds, both hallmarks of AI image generators, it's a surprisingly convincing illusion."
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