An investigation by The Guardian has revealed that brands are increasingly using AI-generated influencers to promote products on social media without disclosing their artificial nature. This practice has sparked calls for greater transparency, as consumers may be misled into believing they are viewing genuine customer experiences.
The findings indicate that companies are turning to AI-generated content that purports to show real people using their products, while giving no obvious indication that the individuals featured are not real. Some content creators making such AI influencer content are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to prevent them from discussing their work.
No Specific Rules for AI Disclosure
Currently, there are no specific rules requiring brands to inform consumers when advertising content has been created using AI. In the EU, new rules under the Artificial Intelligence Act will begin applying in August, requiring AI-generated or manipulated content such as deepfake images, audio, and video to be clearly labelled. However, this legislation will not apply in the UK.
The consumer group Which? stated that customers should be clearly informed when promotional content features AI-generated influencers rather than real people. Lisa Barber, editor of Which? Tech, said: "Our recent investigation into deepfakes on social media found that a worrying 70% of people are unable to correctly identify all the real and fake videos we showed them, meaning consumers could be frequently being misled by AI-generated content and becoming targets for scammers."
Examples of AI-Generated Influencers
One example includes a photo app called Once, which allows people to create disposable camera-style photographs for events. According to analysis by Reality Defenders, a cybersecurity company specialising in deepfake detection, the brand has likely used AI-generated influencers in its promotion. Several videos on Instagram show a bride crying and saying she was pleased to have used the Once app at her wedding. The post was captioned, "The app I used is called @oncefilmapp." Once did not respond to a request for comment.
In another video, a woman who appears to be AI-generated says: "I could kiss the interior designer who showed me this," before demonstrating the Maket app, which uses AI to design housing projects. Maket said: "AI-generated influencers have been one of several ways for us to test creative concepts and marketing hooks at a small scale before investing in broader campaigns."
A fashion brand called Ashle, based in Dubai, posted a photograph appearing to show a woman wearing its clothes at a restaurant, but the woman appears to have an extra finger. After being approached by The Guardian, the brand deleted the photographs. A spokesperson for Ashle said: "All Ashle pieces are real garments that are handmade to order. We are not selling AI-generated products. Some early marketing imagery utilised AI during our initial launch phase to showcase designs."
Regulatory Stance and Industry Practices
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said there is nothing in its rules that explicitly prohibits brands from posting AI-generated promotional content without disclosure. An ASA spokesperson stated: "There’s nothing in our rules that prohibits this and there are no disclosure rules for AI content labelling. The content would, of course, still need to stick to the advertising rules. For example, it mustn’t be misleading and it must be socially responsible."
Clarissa Mansbridge, a former celebrity manager who creates AI influencer images for brands through her Mia Metaverse portfolio, said brands approach her because of her ability to create hyperrealistic digital humans. Brands can hire her to create entirely new AI avatars used for user-generated content (UGC). She estimated that "about 40% to 60% of the content out there from some of the big brands is actually being made through AI, but a lot of the creators are under NDA." She added: "If you sign with a brand, they’ll make you sign an NDA saying you can’t talk about the fact they’re using [AI], because consumer trust is still being built. I call it plausible deniability."
Mansbridge noted that brands are attracted by lower costs: "Brands want high-end photography, but they don’t want to pay $20,000 to $70,000 for a traditional photoshoot. Unfortunately, human influencers killed the market for themselves. Brands are moving to AI to cut out issues like bad press, personal opinions, hourly rates and photographers."
Marketing of AI-Generated Content to Businesses
The use of AI-generated content that mimics authentic customer experiences is also being actively marketed to businesses. Leeds-based artist Zac Rossiter said he was recently approached by a marketing agency promising to boost sales. An email seen by The Guardian read: "Pick one of your products. I’m thinking your artwork prints, but it’s up to you. We will use our AI studio to generate you a complimentary piece of ad creative for it, yours to keep." The agency proposed creating an AI-generated unboxing video featuring one of Rossiter’s products. Rossiter declined, stating: "I would never work with an agency that used fake AI unboxing videos over actual, real people."
