I Spent a Week Following AI Influencers -Here’s What Frankly Freaked Me Out.

Last updated on November 19th, 2025 at 12:48 pm

I will be frank, though this came as a surprise to me, and I certainly did not think I would have to feel weird following a couple of AI accounts. However, now it is one week later and the dangers of the AI influencers become a real thing when you can see the results of their magic on your feed.

The Experiment Started Simple

I have tracked the seven days of five AI influencers. Granny Spills and Lil Miquela, and three of them I discovered on Tik Tok and Instagram. My plan? step on them as any other creator that I would subscribe to – scroll their posts, comment on them, have a look at what brands they are selling.

Day one felt normal. Day three? It was at this point that it became uncomfortable.

They’re Really Good at This

Things that caught my attention immediately are the following: these AI accounts do not post beautiful images only. They reply to comments. They share “personal” stories. Granny Spills accrued almost 1 million likes on the videos on which she speaks like your real-life grandma most humans did not suspect that the person on the video was a fake person.

The engagement felt… real. That’s the problem.

I observed human beings emptying their hearts in the comments. One of the people informed her that he / she lost his/her own grandmother. The other one had requested life guidance. And this AI account simply continued to give flawlessly designed emotion.

It was at that point that I realized the danger of AI influencers and it is not the technology. It is concerning the trust we are giving away, without being aware of it.

The Trust Problem Nobody’s Talking About

According to the research, 68% of teenagers are unable to distinguish the AI influencers and the real humans. I experimented on my younger cousin. Presented her with three accounts, one of which was AI. She got all three wrong.

I informed her of the reality, and she shrugged. Does it mean anything whether they are entertaining?

Yeah, it matters. Since the AI influencers are not under obligations like human innovators, they can provide persuasive messages with few limitations, unlike those who would become weary and unsupervised. They don’t get tired. They don’t have off days. They just… perform.

What Happens to Your Brain

By the fifth day, I was caught to have developed opinions about these AI individuals. I “liked” one more than another. I began making inquiries on whether they posted anything new.

That parasocial attachment? It’s designed into them. Research concluded that AI influencers evoke 40 percent more levels of trust when communicating with people than humans. A face, a story, a connecting, your brain gets, there being no one on the other side, not real at all.

The psychological perspective touched me most. Their lives are perfect, their skin is perfect, everything is perfect. Studies associate this with an image problem and depression, particularly in younger audiences that are still struggling to define their identity.

The Money Trail

I followed sponsored posts throughout the week. All of the AI accounts I subscribed to advertised something to me fashion brands, tech products, lifestyle apps. Undisclosed sponsorships are almost a third of the AI influencer content.

You know what’s wild? Brands report a 23 percent fall in partnerships with human creators but AI partnerships had increased 240 percent. Code is taking away the jobs of the real people.

My Takeaway After Seven Days

By the seventh day, I unfollowed all the five accounts. It was not because the content was poor, it was refined, interesting, optimized to the dot. That’s exactly why I left.

The risks of AI influencers do not consist in robot replacements or nightmares of the science-fictions. It is easier and more terrifying: we are normalizing the relationship with those things that are not real, voices that do not have the interest in the truth, and having the algorithms creating our self-image without asking whom it is.

Do you trust AI influencers? That’s your call. At least get an idea of what you are getting in to – since even today the majority of platforms do not compel direct disclosure and the brain will not inform you otherwise.

FAQs

How can I tell if an influencer is AI-generated?

It is becoming more difficult, but seek eternal beauty – no bad hair days, no unedited content, no spontaneous and unkempt information. Disclosure (not all accounts are truthful about this) is checked in their bio or About section.

Another red flag is generic and over polished responses to comments. When everything seems too good, it is likely to be the case.

Are AI influencers ethical?

Depends on transparency. In case they openly confess their AI character and adhere to the advertisement regulations, it becomes less problematic. The ethical aspects are linked with the element of deceit, the risk of manipulation, and strengthening of unrealistic standards.

Informed consent does not exist when people are unaware that they are communicating with AI, and that is when the grey area arises.

Are human creators going to be replaced by AI creators?

Not all, but genuine upheaval is underway. 64 percent of creators are confident that AI will take over part of the marketing jobs, and brands already redirect some of their budgets towards AI alliances.

Authenticity and true originality that can only be provided by human creators cannot be offered by AI, yet efficiency and savings can give AI appeal to brands.

There will be a mixed future with the two existing, but the creators in the world will have to adjust.

Read: AI Generated Virtual Influencers: The $45B Opportunity