Are Celebrity Digital Humans the Next Generation of Influencers?

Hollywood has long been a hotbed of culture, wealth, and influence. But over recent years, it’s become less about the silver screen and more about the phone screen as celebrities move into the realm of influencers. Reflecting broader trends in celebrities and entertainment, movie stars have also increasingly branched out into non-acting enterprises. 

Power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are a case in point, with combined business empires spanning sport, beverages, and haircare – and proving so successful, Reynolds even has his own marketing and branding agency. Selena Gomez is another example, extending her already-impressive resumé from acting, screen production, and music into her makeup and cosmetics brand, valued at $2 billion last year.

Of course, one thing these stars all have in common is their ability to work social media, leveraging their huge existing fandoms to build loyalty to their newly launched brands and further extend their reach. However, other famous people are also increasingly speaking out about the issues of maintaining an online persona. Celebrities including Pete Davidson, Justin Bieber, and Chappell Roan are among those who have called out fans for their toxic behavior on social media, with the latter even going as far as announcing she was unable to perform scheduled concerts due to the need to prioritize her mental health. 

Social is non-negotiable 

At this point in the evolution of social media and celebrity, launching a side hustle is an optional effort, but an online presence is not. It’s practically the only foundation on which it’s possible to build a professional brand and a following, whether as a musician, actor, reality star, or any other type of entertainer. However, there’s more than one flip side to online fame. 

Each social platform requires a steady stream of content to keep fans engaged, which takes time and effort, even for those successful enough to afford a support team. And nothing keeps fans engaged more than a sneak peek behind the curtain into the real lives of their celebrity idols. However, the thinner the wall between the famous and their fans, the more the celebrity exposes themselves to online toxicity and hate. 

Could AI be the answer? So far, Hollywood, in particular, has been resistant to the idea of AI, especially when it comes to digital replicas of an actor’s likeness. This pushback is understandable, given the real fears that digital humans could replace actual human actors. But what if celebrities could use an AI-enabled digital human for their own benefit, to expand their time reach, and enhance their online safety? 

Antix is one AI company offering such a solution. Antix allows anyone to create and customize a hyper-realistic, AI-enabled avatar that integrates seamlessly across virtual platforms, providing multiple opportunities for celebrities and influencers to create immersive, engaging content and experiences for fans. 

Maximum impact, lower effort

How do digital humans work in practice? One example is that a celebrity digital twin could be used to reach new audiences in different countries by communicating fluently in the fan’s language using relevant cultural references. 

They could also be used to make brand partnerships more lucrative by generating more content across platforms based on the celebrity’s own image and voice. This could help to increase coverage with minimal additional effort, and thanks to the crisp, photorealistic capabilities of the Antix platform, the user is assured of a true likeness that doesn’t compromise their personal image. 

Furthermore, the opportunity to use a digital twin could be a strategic way for celebrities to enhance their online impact while increasing protection against toxic fandom. They could test new content or material using a digital twin so that they don’t have to personally deal with negative feedback or toxic comments while adapting the full launch to optimize for engagement based on the results of the digital twin test. 

With Antix, the digital twin is programmed into an NFT, meaning it can’t be replicated without the user’s consent.

Social media is a powerful tool for celebrities, particularly those who want to expand their reach as influencers. However, without any other options for building a following, famous people are also increasingly finding that they’re unable to escape the worst elements of social media. Technology may be the root of the requirement to be always online, but paradoxically, technology in the form of digital twins could also be the solution that celebrities need to secure more time offline while offering more options for maintaining healthy interactions online.