Influencers created by artificial intelligence are exploiting the famous Coachella festival to generate huge revenues, with some able to earn tens of thousands of dollars from their "at-the-festival" content.
A new wave of glamorous posts is taking over social media: photos and videos of these "influencers" appearing near the Coachella Ferris wheel, posing with celebrities and wearing carefully curated outfits. The only problem? They don't exist and have never been to the festival.
"COACHELLA. BEAST EDITION. Perfect day with you," wrote the account @its_gigi_mae in a post showing herself with an AI-created "friend" among the festival crowd.
While @grannyspills posted a photo with the Kardashian-Jenner family jokingly commenting "the girls stopped by my area!", and @digitallucas posted a "topless" photo with the caption "Coachella vibes all weekend."
Significant profits from "virtual stars"
According to experts, these accounts can generate large amounts of money.
“AI influencers can earn over $40,000 just from subscriptions and brand collaborations during Coachella,” explains Lewis Davey, founder of a virtual influencer management agency.
There are dozens of such profiles on Instagram that take advantage of big events like Coachella.
The popular account @lilmiquela, with 2.3 million followers, posted a series of photos from the "festival," including one against the backdrop of the famous Ferris wheel, with the caption: "I lived a lifetime in one weekend. I will never forget Coachella."
Meanwhile, @ammarathegoat and @fit_aitana have also posted "festival experiences", appearing in scenes that mimic the presence of real-life stars like Justin and Hailey Bieber.
The public often does not distinguish between the real and the virtual.
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence tools for photos and videos, many of these images look quite convincing to social media users.
Some commentators have expressed surprise and concern:
"It scares me that people don't understand that this is AI," one user wrote.
"Seriously, how can you think this is real?" comments another.
New strategy for digital marketing
According to experts, using big events like Coachella is a smart strategy to increase the visibility of these virtual profiles.
“AI influencers are increasingly being associated with cultural events because it makes them more relevant and attracts the attention of brands,” says Davey. “Now brands can collaborate with them without the need for a physical presence.”
He also mentions the case of Aitana Lopez, one of the first virtual influencers with millions in income, who "attended" Coachella and offered exclusive content to subscribers.
A rapidly growing industry
This year alone, thousands of AI creators have participated in the international competition for “AI Influencer of the Year,” where winners can receive tens of thousands of dollars in prizes.
According to experts, this is just the beginning of an industry that is expected to change the way social media marketing works.
"The profit potential is huge and this is a rapidly growing market," Davey concludes. /GazetaExpress/
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