Influencer marketing has evolved to a new level as virtual influencers are becoming more popular among brands and consumers. The market was valued at $16.4 billion in 2022 and it has more than doubled since 2019, according to Statista. Virtual influencers are entirely digital beings typically made to look human so followers can experience a similar trust they feel with human influencers. Some virtual influencers have millions of followers and have worked with major brands like Dior, Calvin Klein, Balmain, Balenciaga, Prada, and more.

Virtual influencers are fictional computer generated ‘people’ who have the realistic characteristics, features, and personalities of humans. They are created by individuals or companies who remain faceless and are responsible for growing their virtual influencers’ social media platforms and moulding them into internationally recognized influencers. These creators choose the way their virtual influencers look, dress, and act, and they also decide who they hang out with, date, fall out with and collaborate with on Instagram.

Behind each virtual influencer are machine learning algorithms and OpenAI, which enables them to interact with their followers more naturally. As technology advances, virtual influencers will become more realistic, blurring the line between real and virtual humans.

Virtual influencers offer brands several benefits. First, they often deliver free publicity. Second, they are easier to control than human influencers, albeit more expensive to create. Third, there are barely any limitations with virtual personas – they can be whoever a brand wants them to be, exist in whatever worlds they choose, and do whatever makes sense for the demographic a brand is trying to target.

Influencer Marketing Factory’s survey in 2022 found that 58% of respondents followed at least one virtual influencer, and 35% of consumers said they had purchased a product promoted by one, with those between 18 and 44 being the most likely to do so. These numbers are likely higher now.

The rise of virtual influencers also means that they are being integrated into the metaverse, a virtual world where people can interact with each other in real-time. The metaverse offers endless possibilities for virtual influencers to connect with their audiences in a more immersive way.

However, some critics argue that virtual influencers can be deceptive as they are not real people. The trust that consumers place in influencers comes from the perception that they are genuine, relatable, and authentic, but this perception can be difficult to maintain with virtual influencers.

Despite these concerns, virtual influencers are becoming a real force to be reckoned with in the influencer marketing industry, with more of them emerging on Instagram every week and more brands queuing up to get involved with this futuristic means of marketing. Brands need to be aware of this trend and should consider collaborating with virtual influencers to reach out to a whole new type of audience. Virtual influencers will give brands more control over their collaborations, and mistakes can be fixed within minutes, giving brands greater flexibility.

As technology advances and the lines between virtual and real become even more blurred, virtual influencers will become more sophisticated and human-like. The rise of virtual influencers is just the beginning of a new era in influencer marketing, and it will be exciting to see where this trend will lead us.

The news spread quickly through the tech industry and beyond. Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire tech tycoon and CEO of Meta Platforms, had quietly abandoned his grand plan for the metaverse, the immersive virtual world that was supposed to be the Next Big Thing.

There was no press release, no big announcement. Just a few hints here and there, buried in blog posts and earnings calls, that the metaverse was no longer the top priority for Meta. Instead, the company was shifting its focus to artificial intelligence, or AI, a field that many experts consider to be a true technological revolution.

For those who had followed Zuckerberg’s ambitious plans for the metaverse, the news was a shock. The CEO had invested billions of dollars into the project, creating a dedicated division called Reality Labs that was supposed to be the driving force behind the new virtual world. But despite all the hype and buzz, the metaverse had failed to take off, and now it seemed that Zuckerberg was quietly burying the project and moving on to something else.

Some critics saw this as a sign of Zuckerberg’s hubris and excess, comparing him to the French king Louis XIV, who famously declared, “I am the state.” Others saw it as a savvy move by a shrewd businessman who knew when to cut his losses and move on to the next big thing.

Either way, the news had far-reaching implications for the tech industry and beyond. The metaverse had been hailed as a new frontier for social media, a place where people could interact with each other in immersive, lifelike environments. It had been touted as a potential solution to many of the problems facing modern society, from loneliness and isolation to climate change and inequality.

But now, it seemed that the metaverse was dead. The dream of a new virtual world had been shattered, and those who had invested time, money, and energy into the project were left to wonder what had gone wrong.

For Zuckerberg, the decision to abandon the metaverse was a difficult one. He had been one of its biggest advocates, predicting that it would be the next big thing after the internet and mobile phones. He had even renamed his company Meta Platforms in a nod to the new virtual world he was trying to create.

But as time went on, it became clear that the metaverse was not living up to its hype. The technology was still clunky and expensive, and there were few compelling use cases beyond gaming and entertainment. Meanwhile, the costs of developing the technology were spiraling out of control, with Meta’s Reality Labs division recording losses of nearly $24 billion over two years.

Zuckerberg knew that he had to make a change. He had always been quick to adapt to new ideas and trends, and he knew that the tech industry was moving in a new direction. Artificial intelligence was the new buzzword, and Zuckerberg saw an opportunity to pivot his company towards this new field.

In a blog post in February 2023, Zuckerberg announced that Meta was creating a new top-level product group focused on generative AI. The company would be pulling together its various AI teams to build new, creative tools that could help people in a variety of ways.

It was a bold move, but one that Zuckerberg believed was necessary. AI was already transforming the way we interact with technology, from chatbots that could answer our questions to virtual assistants that could carry out tasks for us. With the rise of AGI, or artificial general intelligence, machines would soon be able to outperform humans at most economically valuable work.

Zuckerberg saw the potential for AI to transform not just the tech industry, but society as a whole. He believed that AI could help solve many of the problems that the metaverse had promised to solve, from loneliness and isolation to climate change and inequality.

With generative AI, Zuckerberg envisioned a future where machines could create art, music, and literature that rivaled that of human creators. He saw a future where AI could help scientists discover new drugs and treatments for diseases, and where it could help farmers optimize their crops and reduce waste.

The shift towards AI was not just happening in the tech industry, but in other sectors as well. Governments around the world were investing in AI research and development, seeing it as a key driver of economic growth and competitiveness. AI was also being used to solve complex social problems, from healthcare and education to transportation and public safety.

But the rapid pace of AI development was also creating new challenges. As machines became more intelligent and autonomous, there were growing concerns about the impact on employment and the workforce. Some experts predicted that AI could replace up to 40% of jobs in the next decade, creating a wave of job displacement and economic disruption.

There were also concerns about the ethical and social implications of AI. As machines became more intelligent and autonomous, there was a risk of unintended consequences and unforeseen outcomes. Some experts warned of the potential for AI systems to perpetuate bias and discrimination, or to be used for nefarious purposes by bad actors.

To address these challenges, Meta and other tech companies were investing in AI ethics and governance. They were developing new frameworks and principles for responsible AI development, and working with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that AI was developed in a way that was safe, ethical, and beneficial for all.

As the focus shifted towards AI, some wondered if the hype around the metaverse had been misplaced. Had we been too quick to embrace the idea of a new virtual world, without fully considering the challenges and limitations of the technology?

As Meta shifted its focus to AI, other tech companies were also taking notice. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon were all investing heavily in AI research and development, and startups were popping up left and right, each claiming to have the next big breakthrough in AI.

It was clear that AI was the new frontier for the tech industry, and that the race was on to create the most powerful and transformative AI systems.

As for the metaverse, it was not completely dead. Some companies were still working on developing virtual worlds and immersive environments, and there were still enthusiasts who believed that the metaverse could one day become a reality.

But for now, the focus had shifted to AI, and the world was waiting to see what new innovations and breakthroughs would emerge from this exciting and rapidly-evolving field.