For years, virtual influencers were seen as little more than a futuristic marketing gimmick. Today, they are appearing more frequently across social media platforms, advertising campaigns and digital brand experiences. However, a new study by German agency group pilot suggests that the real shift is not a sudden surge in enthusiasm for AI influencers, but a growing public awareness of AI-generated content.
This may mark the beginning of a new phase in the debate around virtual personalities. The question is no longer whether people can recognise AI influencers. Instead, it is under what conditions they are willing to give them attention, credibility and, ultimately, trust.
Public Awareness of AI Content Is Growing Rapidly
Only a few years ago, many people assumed AI-generated personalities were real. That perception has changed significantly.
According to the latest pilot radar study, around 60 per cent of respondents in 2023 believed an AI-generated person was a real human being. By 2026, that figure had fallen to just 23 per cent. The findings suggest that users have become far more sensitive to artificial content and are increasingly questioning whether a person actually exists or has been created digitally.
That does not mean AI content has become less common. Quite the opposite. Generative AI is far more visible today than it was just a few years ago. AI-generated images, videos and virtual personalities have become a routine part of many social media feeds. At the same time, users are developing greater media literacy, paying closer attention to labels, visual inconsistencies and other clues that indicate synthetic content.
AI Influencers Are Becoming Their Own Category
The study suggests that virtual influencers are no longer viewed merely as a technological curiosity.
Around half of influencer-engaged respondents believe AI influencers could eventually become as influential as human creators. This points to a broader shift, with digital personalities increasingly being recognised as a distinct category within the creator economy.
Interestingly, the concept of authenticity itself appears to be evolving. For years, authenticity was closely associated with real people. Today, many users seem more interested in whether content is relevant, consistent and credible, regardless of whether it comes from a human being or an AI system.
Acceptance Has Clear Limits
That growing openness does not mean AI influencers are accepted in every context.
Virtual personalities tend to be viewed more positively in areas such as entertainment, gaming, technology and lifestyle, where creativity and presentation play a central role. In these categories, audiences appear more willing to embrace digital characters as part of the experience.
The situation changes considerably in more sensitive fields. When it comes to health, politics or personal life decisions, many people still expect genuine human experience, accountability and credibility. In these areas, AI influencers encounter significantly greater resistance.
For brands, this highlights an important lesson: the key question is not whether AI influencers work, but where they work.
Trust Remains the Most Valuable Currency
One of the study’s most significant findings concerns the role of trust.
The research suggests that reach alone is becoming less important in determining the success of influencer campaigns. Relevance, subject-matter expertise and credibility within a community matter far more.
For AI influencers, this means transparency is likely to become a decisive success factor. Users respond more positively when virtual personalities are clearly identified as AI-generated. By contrast, attempts to present artificial figures as real people tend to generate scepticism and distrust.
Acceptance therefore depends less on technical perfection and more on whether audiences understand what they are looking at and feel they are being treated honestly.
Creators Continue to Drive Consumer Behaviour
The findings also underline just how influential creator marketing has become.
Around half of all social media users follow at least one content creator. Among 18 to 29-year-olds, that figure rises to approximately 85 per cent.
Two-thirds of influencer-engaged respondents say creators have introduced them to new products, while more than a third have gone on to make a purchase, usually after conducting additional research.
These behaviours help explain why brands are increasingly experimenting with AI-generated personalities. If virtual influencers can attract attention in a similar way to human creators, they represent a potentially powerful new marketing channel.
Why Brands Are Investing in Virtual Personalities
From a business perspective, AI influencers offer several obvious advantages.
They are available around the clock, can communicate in multiple languages and can be tailored precisely to a brand’s identity. Campaigns no longer depend on the schedules, travel commitments or personal controversies of individual influencers.
Content can also be produced more quickly and customised for different audiences at scale. At the same time, the technology itself continues to improve rapidly. What once looked artificial and experimental can now appear remarkably realistic.
As a result, more companies are investing in digital brand ambassadors, virtual avatars and AI-generated creators.
The Real Challenge Is Social, Not Technical
Despite the technological progress, the pilot radar study points to a crucial reality.
The biggest challenge facing AI influencers is no longer the quality of the technology. Images, videos and virtual personalities are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The real question is whether people trust them.
Users are beginning to judge virtual influencers according to the same criteria they apply to human creators. Are the content and recommendations relevant? Do they fit the brand? Are they transparent? Do they feel credible?
Those questions will ultimately determine whether AI influencers can achieve lasting success.
What Brands Can Learn
For businesses, the message is clear.
The success of virtual influencers will not depend on how realistic they look. It will depend on whether they fit the brand, are used transparently and deliver genuine value to their audiences.
Companies that view AI simply as a cheaper replacement for human creators may struggle in the long term. Those that see virtual personalities as a new form of digital brand communication, with trust at its core, are more likely to benefit from a trend that is only just beginning.
The study’s most important conclusion is therefore not that AI influencers are automatically becoming more popular. Rather, users are learning how to engage with AI-generated personalities and evaluate them more critically. And in doing so, they continue to rely on the same principles that have always shaped successful communication: trust, relevance, transparency and credibility.
