Facebook Inc. has put up a blog on Meta’s Business website explaining the importance of AI in Influencer Marketing.
“I think all Influencers will have an AI avatar—a copy of themselves to do stuff you couldn’t do with a normal video,” Riparbelli, Co-Founder and CEO, of software firm – Synthesia, said.
From synthesized versions of real people to wholly invented ‘Virtual Influencers’ (VIs), synthetic media is a rising phenomenon. Meta platforms are home to more than 200 VIs, with 30 verified VI accounts hosted on Instagram. These VIs boast huge follower counts, collaborate with some of the world’s biggest brands, fundraise for organizations like the WHO, and champion social causes like Black Lives Matter.
Some of the more well-known examples on this front are Shudu, who has more than 200 Thousand followers on Instagram, and Lil’ Miquela, who has an audience of over 3 Million on Instagram.
Though similar technology has been used by bad actors to perpetrate ‘deep fakes,’ or false representations of real people designed to trick or misinform viewers, synthetic media is increasingly being leveraged by brands and other organizations for creative marketing campaigns and other innovative use cases.
Imagine personalized video messages that address individual followers by name. Or celebrity brand ambassadors appearing as salespeople at local car dealerships. A famous athlete would make a great tutor for a kid who loves sports but hates algebra.
But synthetic media isn’t merely about amplifying the voices of those who already enjoy an audience. Synthesia’s Riparbelli hopes the technology will help to further democratize the influencer ecosystem by lowering traditional barriers to entry.
“It can give a voice to people who don’t necessarily have all the checkboxes of what you need to be a popular influencer today,” Riparbelli said. “If you fit into the stereotype of what an influencer looks like, then maybe [synthetic media] won’t have as big of an effect on you. But if you maybe don’t, now you can build a character to convey your story through.”
But like any disruptive technology, synthetic media has the potential for both good and harm. Issues of representation, cultural appropriation and expressive liberty are already a growing concern.
“We have been working with a team of incredible minds to design a practical and proactive point of view for our brands,” said Becky Owen, Head of Creator Innovation and Solutions at Meta Creative Shop. “We can’t just wait to see what happens in this space. By identifying the potential pitfalls and opportunities that lie ahead, we will help our brand partners and VI creators explore what’s possible, likely and desirable—and what’s not.”
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