AI Influencers: When We Start Comparing Ourselves to Code

Remember when the internet was full of real people? Real faces, real stories, real influence. That era feels increasingly distant. Today, a growing number of “influencers” aren’t people at all — they’re AI-generated personas with immaculate skin, endlessly curated aesthetics, and perfectly on-brand personalities. And strangely, they’re gaining real followings.

From Meta’s AI chatbot profiles sliding into our DMs to entire Instagram accounts run by virtual models, we’ve entered a new era where algorithms don’t just shape the conversation — they are the conversation. The Dead Internet Theory, once a niche online conspiracy, is starting to feel like an uncomfortable mirror held up to our digital reality.

The Rise of the Synthetic Influencer

Take a scroll through Instagram or TikTok and you might stumble across an “influencer” with hundreds of thousands of followers. Their captions are polished, their outfits are flawless, and their engagement is enviable. But look a little closer and you’ll find that some of these accounts belong not to humans, but to CGI characters powered by generative AI and branding teams.

These digital figures never sleep, never age, and never post a bad angle. They can respond to DMs, collaborate with brands, and even “host” live events — all without a single human flaw. For marketers, they’re a dream: no scandals, no sick days, no negotiating fees. For audiences, they’re simultaneously fascinating and unnerving.

The Comparison Trap — Now with Extra Code

It’s one thing to compare ourselves to other people online — influencers with their highlight reels and filters. But what happens when we start comparing ourselves to machines?

AI influencers set a bar that isn’t just unrealistic — it’s impossible. Their bodies are rendered to perfection, their personalities are carefully scripted, and their lives are algorithmically optimised for engagement. Yet, human users — particularly younger audiences — may find themselves holding their own messy, unpredictable lives up against these digital ideals.

The pressure to “keep up” with someone who doesn’t exist is a whole new kind of psychological whiplash. And it raises the question: what happens to self-esteem, identity, and authenticity when the competition isn’t real?

An Internet Drifting from Reality

The Dead Internet Theory suggested that bots, AI content, and algorithms have hollowed out the internet, replacing human interaction with synthetic engagement. The emergence of AI influencers is that theory in high definition. We’re not just talking to chatbots anymore — we’re following, admiring, and even emulating them.

Social media, once sold as a place to connect, is slowly morphing into a stage where corporations puppeteer AI characters to hold our attention. The line between authentic and artificial is blurring — and disturbingly, many people either can’t tell the difference or don’t care to.

Where Do We Go From Here?

AI isn’t inherently the villain. Used responsibly, it can be a powerful creative tool. But when AI personas start to dominate the cultural space once occupied by real people, something fundamental shifts. The internet risks becoming less a mirror of human life and more a meticulously curated showroom — polished, profitable, and eerily empty.

Perhaps the better question now isn’t “Am I talking to someone or something?” but rather:
“Am I measuring myself against reality… or a simulation?”