AI influencers are just the tip of the iceberg for ‘synthetic’ talent
- AI creators and avatars are receiving significant investment from marketers.
- Joe Ciarallo from Synthesia mentions that companies like NBCUniversal are utilizing AI clones.
- Eve Lee, founder of Source Material, expresses concerns about AI influencers leading to a “race to the bottom.”
Marketers are investing billions in avatars, with CMOs spending close to $1.4 billion on AI creators in the past year. The market is expected to reach tens of billions by 2030.
Zuhair Lakhani, founder of Doublespeed, notes the emergence of “AI marketing” as a new line item on company budgets. The use of AI creators is being considered by many companies.
AI influencers are just the beginning of the synthetic talent trend, with companies creating digital clones of executives, analysts, and on-air personalities.
Joe Ciarallo of Synthesia describes the use of AI avatars by companies like NBCUniversal, Moody’s, and Booz Allen Hamilton as a forward-thinking approach.
NBCUniversal recently launched a digital twin of Andy Cohen to enhance the Peacock app experience for Bravo reality show fans.
UBS, another Synthesia client, transformed their analysts into digital versions to provide video research updates to clients.
According to Synthesia, clients report cost savings and production time reduction when utilizing AI talent.
Doublespeed assists brands in creating fleets of synthetic social media accounts for content posting and customer engagement.
Founder Zuhair Lakhani mentions overwhelming demand for Doublespeed’s services, with companies eager to sign up for the platform.
AI-generated content requires human oversight for quality and taste, emphasizing the importance of human input in the process.
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However, Eve Lee of Source Material is critical of AI influencers, believing they contribute to a negative trend on the internet.
She emphasizes the importance of working with human influencers to maintain authenticity and cultural relevance.
Lee expresses concerns that widespread adoption of AI influencers will lead to customer disillusionment over time.
Some, like Bill Ross from Emulent, have experienced mixed results with AI campaigns, with clients not achieving desired returns.
Despite challenges, tools like Synthesia and Doublespeed are changing the landscape of AI marketing rapidly.
Bill Ross predicts exponential growth in AI marketing, emphasizing its accelerating impact on the industry.
