Unlocking the Secrets of AI Influencers: Insights to Captivate Consumers

This research identified ten key attributes of AI influencers that significantly impact consumer acceptance, including anthropomorphism, attractiveness, luminary (referring to the influencer's status or fame), quality, and robophobia. The findings provide valuable insights to help brands leverage AI influencers effectively in their marketing strategies by understanding the factors that drive consumer attitudes, trust, and perceived fit towards these virtual entities.

The Why's? ??

The use of AI influencers heralds a significant shift in marketing, driven by technological advancements. As brands embrace technology innovation, the potential for AI influencers to revolutionize the marketing industry becomes clear. By challenging traditional norms about authenticity and trust in marketing, AI influencers open up new and exciting avenues for brand communication.??

AI influencers can offer more control over brand messaging and potentially lower costs associated with long-term contracts and the unpredictability of human endorsers. They can be programmed to avoid controversies and maintain a consistently brand-aligned persona. For instance, an AI influencer can be customized to speak different languages, understand regional dialects, and adapt to cultural nuances, making it more relatable to diverse audiences. AI influencers can be scaled and customized without the logistical challenges and more efficiently than human influencers. Thus, understanding how AI influencers can be leveraged effectively helps businesses stay competitive in a digital-first world.??

Integrating AI influencers in advertising necessitates a nuanced understanding of their influence on consumer behaviour. Key attributes like anthropomorphism, attractiveness, and trendiness must be carefully considered to design effective campaigns that resonate with target audiences and avoid adverse reactions such as robophobia. Simultaneously, consumer advocates and regulators face the challenge of ensuring transparency and preventing deceptive practices in using AI influencers, underscoring the need for clear disclosures about the nature of AI endorsements.?

Technologists and AI developers can harness the power of consumer feedback to enhance the relatability and effectiveness of AI influencers. This collaborative approach, where the audience's voice is integral to shaping the future of AI influencers, empowers consumers and highlights their value in the digital marketplace.?

By studying AI influencers, we can navigate the complexities of modern marketing landscapes, ensuring that innovations in AI are used ethically and effectively. This commitment to the ethical use of AI enhances consumer experiences without compromising trust and authenticity, reassuring the audience about the responsible use of this technology.

The Findings ??

• The research identified ten key attributes of AI influencers that significantly impact consumer acceptance: anthropomorphism, artificiality, attractiveness, luminary, parasocial relationship, quality, entertainment, trendiness, usefulness, and robophobia.?

• Six of these key attributes - anthropomorphism, attractiveness, luminary, quality, trendiness, and robophobia - were found to significantly affect consumers' acceptance of AI influencers as product/brand endorsers.?

• Anthropomorphism, attractiveness, luminary, quality, and trendiness positively impact consumer acceptance of AI influencers, while robophobia (consumers' fear or anxiety towards the AI influencer) negatively affects acceptance.?

• Quality was the only attribute that affected all three variables: influencer attitude, influencer trust, and influencer-product fit, which constitute consumer acceptance of AI influencers.?

• The study also revealed that demographic factors, whether one currently follows the AI influencer and which specific AI influencer one is exposed to, did not affect consumer acceptance. However, influencer involvement and pre-existing brand attitude did play a role.

The Actionable Recommendations ?

• Humanize AI influencers by selecting AI influencers that exhibit rich human characteristics and engage in real-world situations to enhance consumer attitudes and trust. For example, AI influencers could be shown eating, petting animals, or socializing.?

• Enhance relatability through familiarity. Marketers should consider the similarity between the AI influencer and public figures admired by their target audience. This similarity can significantly increase consumer acceptance of AI influencers.?

• Due to the adverse effects of robophobia and the positive impact of high-quality, lifelike representations, marketers should invest in technology that produces highly realistic AI influencer figures and content. However, they should remain cautious of the uncanny valley effect.?

• Societal themes, such as women's empowerment or climate change, can be leveraged effectively by AI influencers to reach and engage a broader audience.?

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The Theory ??

• Anthropomorphism Theory. It involves attributing human-like characteristics, intentions, and behaviours to non-human entities. This explains why consumers might perceive them as relatable or trustworthy. When AI influencers exhibit human-like qualities such as emotions, expressions, or personal storytelling, consumers are likely to engage with them. This engagement is based on the natural human tendency to relate to entities that appear similar to themselves, which can enhance the effectiveness of these influencers in marketing campaigns.?

• Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM is used to understand how users come to accept and use technology. It proposes that perceived usefulness and ease of use are fundamental factors determining technology acceptance. In AI influencers, TAM can be applied to analyze how consumers accept these digital entities as authentic endorsers of products. For AI influencers, attributes like interactivity, customization, and the ability to provide valuable content play into their perceived usefulness, while interacting with them through familiar social media platforms enhances their ease of use.?

• Uncanny Valley Theory. It suggests that humanoid objects that imperfectly resemble actual human beings elicit feelings of eeriness and revulsion among some observers. The theory posits that as the appearance of a humanoid becomes more realistic, a point can be reached where the response turns from empathy to revulsion. This is critical in designing their appearance and behaviour. Marketers must balance making AI influencers realistic enough to be engaging but not so lifelike that they become unsettling—understanding where this balance lies can significantly impact consumer trust and the overall effectiveness of the AI influencer.?

The Methods ??

The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining extensive data analysis and survey research.?

• In the first stage, the researchers collected and analyzed over 18,700 YouTube comments on three AI influencers (Lil Miquela, Bermuda, and Blawko) using unsupervised machine-learning techniques to identify key perceived attributes in attractiveness, luminary, quality, trendiness, and robophobia. For instance, Lil Miquela is known for her attractive appearance and high-quality content, while Bermuda is a luminary in the AI influencer space, and Blawko's trendiness is a key attribute.?

• In the second stage, the researchers conducted qualitative content analysis and developed a comprehensive measurement scale for the identified attributes.?

• Finally, in the third stage, the researchers surveyed 1,156 Instagram users to validate the attributes and explore their relationships with consumer acceptance of AI influencers as product/brand endorsers.?

The Caveat and Limitations ???

• The research focused on three top-ranked AI influencers on Instagram, and the findings may not be fully generalizable to other AI influencers.?

• The study did not consider contextual factors, such as social norms, in shaping consumers' perceptions of AI influencers.?

• The research examined only the main effects of the identified attributes on consumer acceptance, and potential mediators and moderators were not explored.?

• The sample and findings are limited to a Western (English-speaking) context, and the model should be tested in different cultural settings.?

• The research concentrated on the relationship between attributes and consumer acceptance but did not investigate the impact on consumer engagement with sponsored influencer posts.?

Full Reference

Feng, Y., Chen, H., & Xie, Q. (2024). AI Influencers in Advertising: The Role of AI Influencer-Related Attributes in Shaping Consumer Attitudes, Consumer Trust, and Perceived Influencer–Product Fit. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 24(1), 26-47.

The Consumer Research Lab is an award-winning research team at Curtin University specialising in providing evidence-based and actionable consumer insights for industry partners. Apart from traditional market research methods, it specialises in the use of consumer neuroscience, machine learning, and digital innovations to address different industry challenges. Get in touch to find out more by emailing [email protected]