Do you follow any virtual influencers, those sometimes AI-controlled, digitally-created characters that are increasingly being used by brands to help promote the latest goods, and generate hype?

It may seem strange, but many virtual characters are indeed now influencers in their own right, with creations like lilmiquela (3 million followers on IG), noonoouri (398k followers), and Shudu (227k) all commanding big audiences, and all endorsing various products in their uploads and posts.

Virtual influencers can be used in a range of ways, to promote a range of products, and within the ever-more airbrushed, polished and manicured world of online content, it’s increasingly difficult to truly tell them apart from actual people. Which may not be a good thing, but with digital products also on the rise, via interest in NFTs and other trends, it does seem that they’re here to stay, whether you like it or not.

To glean some more insight into the rise of virtual influencers, the team, from The Influencer Marketing Factory recently conducted a survey of 1,000 Americans to get their thoughts on the trend.

The results provide some interesting perspective into the perceptions of these wholly created characters – you can check out IMF’s full study results here, or take a look at the infographic summary below.