Investigations conducted by British news publishers have found consumers are frequently duped by AI-generated "influencers" that are used to promote everything from interior design apps to clothing.
British newspaper The Guardian reported its findings on 21 June. It profiled three cases of AI-generated models being used by a photo app called Once, an interior design app called Maket, and a Dubai-based clothing retailer, Ashle. The report also cited an investigation by consumer magazine Which? that found 70 percent of people were unable to correctly identify what was and was not real when showed authentic and AI-generated videos.
In part, the rise in use of AI influencers can be attributed to regulatory gaps in many markets. The EU AI Act will close the gaps around transparency from August for those trading to consumers in the EU. In New York, the state's synthetic performer law came into effect in June 2026, making it the first state to clamp down on disclosure around the use of "synthetic persons".
However, consumers in the UK and much of the US must still exercise vigilance.
In relation to the cases exposed in the UK media, the UK's national advertising regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), says that under current rules content must not be misleading and it must be socially responsible.
Virtual influencers: They said it would never happen
In 2023, CX Network published this article about the growing use of virtual influencers but the backlash on social media was very real. Practitioners said the trend would never take off and that the metaverse was little more than hype.
At the time, these avatars clearly looked computer-generated but were humanized with "personalities" and backstories to make them appear as real as possible. They included Miquela Sousa, AKA Lil Miquela, who promoted Prada, Dior, Burberry and Calvin Klein and reportedly had a net worth of more than $10 million and 2.7 million followers on Instagram.
In the early 2020s, virtual influencers were used by IKEA, Samsung, Nike and Amazon. According to Statista, 35 percent of American consumers purchased a product or service in 2022 after a virtual influencer advocated for it. Of this number, 40 percent of customers were millennials or Gen Z.
Today the trend has shifted to hyper-realistic people with no backstory or "personality", but lots of followers. In 2025, virtual models appeared in the print edition of American Vogue, both Zara and H&M have said they use AI to create "digital clones".
They're not just modelling clothes – The Guardian also interviewed company that is contracted by brands to create AI content that is then positioned as "user-generated" product promotions, for example AI influencers applying a sunscreen, or starring in an unboxing video.
And advertising isn't the only place where they are being used to manipulate real humans. In recent months, MAGA influencer Emily Hart was exposed as an AI generated fake, created and controlled by a 22-year-old medical student in India.
What do consumers think about AI influencers?
In short, the jury is out.
There is a clearly a market for AI-generated characters, as confirmed by the success of Lil Miquela and others. For this reason, the practice should be approached with caution.
Jacqueline Bourke, Getty Images' senior director of creative for EMEA told CX Network that despite the excitement around AI-generated imagery, "brands should be thinking strategically about the use of this technology".
"While consumers enjoy using AI to create images and art, they still view AI-generated works as less authentic and less valuable than human-made content, especially in advertising where they hold brands to a higher standard," she said in reference to global research published by Getty Images in 2025.
It found 98 percent of consumers consider authentic imagery and video to be essential in earning their trust, while 78 percent agreed that, because of its origin, an image generated using AI cannot be considered "authentic".
Getty Images isn't the first study to identify these trends. In 2024, YouGov found that half of consumers say AI-generated ads are a turnoff. Bourke says we're seeing a "crisis of trust". "Customers and consumers are constantly questioning what's real, what's edited, and what's entirely synthetic," she observes.
However, AI-generated influencers are increasingly realistic, and, as the research from Which? confirmed, many consumers are unable to distinguish them from real models.
It's clear that AI influencers can play a role in engaging customers and demonstrating how products can work. But as the research demonstrates, they should not be used to deceive customers and – even if regulations do not stipulate it must happen – the most responsible brands will disclose their use of AI generated models in the name of transparency and customer trust.
Quick links
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