An entrepreneur says he has "accidentally" made more than £30,000 from lovestruck GTA 6 fans after creating an AI 'doppelganger' of the star of the hit new game. The AI model, Adriana Vega, bears a striking resemblance to Lucia Camino, one of the protagonists of one of the biggest game releases in history.
The AI Model Behind the Craze
Fans have become obsessed with Lucia Camino, falling for her seductive looks, daring wardrobe and steamy romance with partner in crime Jason Duval. The Lucia lookalike is AI-generated, with her creator, 26-year-old James from south London, admitting he's made a small fortune thanks to the hype around GTA's first female character.
Adriana Vega has 20,000 followers on Instagram and, until eagle-eyed fans spotted the resemblance, she was already making a healthy salary. Now she has raked in more than £30,000 on Fanvue in the past month thanks to GTA fans making the Lucia comparison.
Fan Reactions and Creator's Response
On public social platforms like Reddit, X and Instagram, GTA fans have expressed their hatred for the AI-generated doppelganger, but James says "he doesn't care", because privately she receives thousands of DMs on Fanvue - the AI-powered direct-to-fan monetisation platform - asking for exclusive content.
One user called her a 'GTA 6 baddie' while another said 'Bro… wake up she isn't real' and a Reddit user said: "This is what happens when AI slop makes AI slop."
James, who works in IT sales, said: "I hadn't clocked Lucia until people started mentioning her in the comments. I built Adriana from scratch and she was never created to look like her. One person said it, then it started this mad frenzy with people kicking off about her on socials but at the same time her earnings on Fanvue exploded."
Expert Advice for Partners
Thousands of triggered girlfriends kicked off at the announcement that GTA 6 players will be able to date Lucia and have a 'relationship' with her, with many saying they'd brand their partner a 'cheater' if they do so.
Veronica Lamarche, a professor at the University of Essex and director of the Relationship Science Lab, said: "AI-generated characters do a very good job at mimicking the same relational cues that people experience in real life: felt understanding, validation, felt empathy. Because they respond in what feels like a personal way, these parasocial connections may feel even stronger for some people compared to traditional media."
Her advice to anxious partners of diehard GTA fans is simple: "A partner should not be using Lucia as a comparison for you as a real partner and their expectations for you. It's important to recognise the difference between a fictional date with someone who has no real agency, and real experiences with flesh and blood partners."
According to James, he's not "quitting the day job" just yet - but plans to make hay while the sun shines.
