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Virtual influencer

Topic: Social

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 6 min

Short description: Computer generated character used for social media marketing
Kizuna AI
A representation of Kizuna AI, a Japanese virtual YouTube host, or VTuber for short

A virtual influencer, at times described as a virtual persona or virtual model, is a computer-generated fictional character that can be used for a variety of marketing-related purposes, but most frequently for social media marketing, in lieu of online human "influencers". Most virtual influencers are designed using computer graphics and motion capture technology to resemble real people in realistic situations.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Common derivatives of virtual influencers include VTubers, which broadly refer to online entertainers and YouTubers who represent themselves using virtual avatars instead of their physical selves.

History

Virtual influencers are fundamentally synonymous with virtual idols, which originate from Japan's anime and Japanese idol culture that dates back to the 1980s.[7] The first virtual idol created was Lynn Minmay, a fictional singer and main character of the anime television series Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982) and the animated film adaptation Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984). Minmay's success led to the production of more Japanese virtual idols, such as EVE from the Japanese cyberpunk anime Megazone 23 (1985), and Sharon Apple in Macross Plus (1994).[8][9] Virtual idols were not always well received – in 1995, Japanese talent agency Horipro created Kyoko Date, which was inspired by the Macross franchise and dating sim games such as Tokimeki Memorial (1994). Date failed to gain commercial success despite drawing headlines for her debut as a CGI idol, largely due to technical limitations leading to issues such as unnatural movements, an issue also known as the uncanny valley.[10][11]

Since their inception, many virtual idols created have achieved continual success, with notable names including the Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku, and the virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI. Technological advancements have also enabled production teams to use artificial intelligence and advanced techniques to customize the personalities and behavior of virtual idols.[12] Due to modern day advancements in technology many virtual idols have done real life tours and events. Notable ones include Hatsune Miku's titular tour Miku Expo and Hololive's concerts with many of their idols from their english, japanese and Indonesian branches.

Some notable events including virtual singers and influencers include: Hatsune Miku opening for Lady Gaga in 2014 [13]and Hoshimachi Suisei's concerts at the famous Budokan venue in Japan and her addition to the Forbes Japan list of '30 Under 30' individuals who are changing the world in their respective fields.[14]

Benefits and criticism

From a branding perspective, virtual influencers are much less likely to be mired in scandals. In China, celebrities caught in bad publicity such as singer Wang Leehom and entertainer Kris Wu have heightened the appeal of virtual influencers, since their existence relies entirely on computer-generated imagery, and hence are unlikely to cause any damage to a brand's image by association.[15] Some studies have also suggested that Generation Z consumers have a unique appetite for virtual idols and influencers, since they grew up in the age of the internet.[16] Studies also show that human-like appearance of virtual influencers show higher message credibility than anime-like virtual influencers.[17]

Scholars and commentators have alson questioned the ethics and cultural impact of virtual influencers, arguing that computer-generated personas can entrench unrealistic beauty standards while diffusing accountability for labor, identity, and consent.[18] Business and marketing analysts have also warned that disclosure and governance remain inconsistent, recommending clearer guardrails and transparency when brands deploy synthetic spokespeople.[19] In 2025, reporting highlighted concerns that AI-driven "virtual humans" could displace human creators and sales workers, intensifying debates over the future of creative labor and authenticity online.[20][21]

Notable examples

Virtual bands

  • Eternity - A South Korean virtual idol group formed by Pulse9.
  • Gorillaz - A virtual band formed in 1998.
  • K/DA - A virtual K-pop girl group created as part of the League of Legends video game franchise.[22]
  • MAVE: - A South Korean virtual girl group formed in 2023 by Metaverse Entertainment.
  • Pentakill - A virtual heavy metal band created as part of the League of Legends video game franchise.
  • Plave (band) - A South Korean virtual boy band formed by VLast.
  • Squid Sisters and Off the Hook - Two virtual pop idol duos as part of the Splatoon series.
  • Studio Killers - A Finnish-Danish-British virtual band formed in 2011.

Vocaloids

  • Hatsune Miku (modeled after Saki Fujita)
  • Kagamine Rin/Len (modeled after Asami Shimoda)
  • Megurine Luka (modeled after Yū Asakawa)
  • Meiko (modeled after Meiko Haigō)
  • Kaito (modeled after Naoto Fūga)

VTubers

Other examples

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hsu, Tiffany (2019-06-17). "These Influencers Aren't Flesh and Blood, Yet Millions Follow Them". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/business/media/miquela-virtual-influencer.html. 
  2. ↑ Tayenaka, Torrey (2020-07-31). "CGI-Created Virtual Influencers Are the New Trend in Social Media Marketing" (in en). https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/352937. 
  3. ↑ "Inside the mind of virtual influencer Rae: "If I want, almost everything I imagine can become a reality"" (in en-SG). 30 December 2020. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/inside-the-mind-of-virtual-influencer-rae-sbtg-singapore-reality-032439601.html. 
  4. ↑ "The Rise of the Virtual Being" (in en-us). Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. https://www.wired.com/story/get-wired-podcast-3-virtual-beings/. Retrieved 2021-01-13. 
  5. ↑ "Fixing Social Media – MAS S.67 // Spring 2020" (in en-US). http://index.html/. 
  6. ↑ "I Am a Model and I Know That Artificial Intelligence Will Eventually Take My Job". Jul 21, 2020. https://www.vogue.com/article/sinead-bovell-model-artificial-intelligence. 
  7. ↑ "The Fictional (Yet Amazingly Popular) Singers of Japan" (in en-us). 7 September 2012. https://kotaku.com/the-fictional-yet-amazingly-popular-singers-of-japan-5940894. 
  8. ↑ Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2015). The anime encyclopedia: a century of Japanese animation. Berkeley, California. ISBN 978-1-61172-909-2. OCLC 904144859. 
  9. ↑ Rattray, Tim (June 25, 2018). "From Macross to Miku: A History of Virtual Idols". Crunchyroll.
  10. ↑ St. Michel, Patrick (2016-07-15). "A Brief History of Virtual Pop Stars" (in en-US). https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1229-a-brief-history-of-virtual-pop-stars/. 
  11. ↑ "Japan's Newest Heartthrobs Are Sexy, Talented and Virtual". https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/1125date.html. 
  12. ↑ "Virtual influencers 101: A guide for small and medium business owners" (in en). https://www.ncr.com/blogs/virtual-influencer. 
  13. ↑ "Lady Gaga is Going on Tour with a Hologram" (in en). 2014-04-17. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/lady-gaga-going-tour-hologram-n83406. 
  14. ↑ https://x.com/suisei_hosimati/status/1959824086487716266?s=46&t=RGlqYgMZgpcPS-wLvFzKqg
  15. ↑ "China's virtual idols are reshaping the ways brands reach Gen Z consumers" (in en). 2022-01-28. https://kr-asia.com/chinas-virtual-idols-are-reshaping-the-ways-brands-reach-gen-z-consumers. 
  16. ↑ "艾媒咨询|2021中国虚拟偶像行业发展及网民调查研究报告(附下载)-艾媒网". https://www.iimedia.cn/c400/79469.html. 
  17. ↑ Kim, Eunjin (Anna); Kim, Donggyu; E, Zihang; Shoenberger, Heather (2023). "The next hype in social media advertising: Examining virtual influencers' brand endorsement effectiveness". Frontiers in Psychology 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1089051. PMID 36949930. 
  18. ↑ Rose, Steve (25 May 2020). "Reality bites: are virtual actors about to put Hollywood's humans out of work?". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/may/25/are-virtual-actors-about-to-put-hollywoods-humans-out-of-work-miquela. 
  19. ↑ Hund, Emily (October 2024). "Generating Clarity on the Creator Economy". Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/10/generating-clarity-on-the-creator-economy. Retrieved 24 August 2025. 
  20. ↑ Kwok, Karen (20 August 2025). "Influencers have defences against an AI onslaught". Reuters Breakingviews. https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/influencers-have-defences-against-an-ai-onslaught-2025-08-20/. 
  21. ↑ Perrigo, David (18 August 2025). "China's AI salespeople are coming for the world". Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/ai-virtual-salespeople-china/. Retrieved 24 August 2025. 
  22. ↑ "Riot Games adds to its world of virtual influencers who promote 'League of Legends'" (in en-US). 4 September 2020. https://www.engadget.com/seraphine-riot-games-virtual-influencer-200538923.html. 

Further reading



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