There was a time when we believed Instagram offered a true picture of who we were. It was all about emotions and vulnerability, and the platform felt so personal that many of us hesitated to join at all. “I don’t want to have an Instagram account,” we would say. “It feels too revealing.”

Fast-forward to today, and we are watching AI influencers take over our feeds. Quite a contrast to what we once thought Instagram was supposed to be, isn't it? These people don't exist, their lives are entirely made up, and yet, even after finding out the truth, many of us keep following them.

Why? Are we witnessing one of the biggest shifts in Instagram's history, or is this simply another new toy for the internet to play with? Let's find out.

Over the past week, the internet seems to have rediscovered AI-generated content. Suddenly, our feeds are full of suspiciously perfect, almost-human influencers posing in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Burj Khalifa. Everywhere you look, someone is announcing a new wave of AI content, as though it has only just arrived.

Except it hasn't. Not even close.

Virtual influencers have been around since at least 2016, when Lil Miquela first appeared on Instagram. Then came the boom in generative AI around 2022–2023, making this kind of content much easier to create. And by spring 2025, AI-generated content had taken a rather different turn, with the internet obsessing over Tralalero Tralala, Bombardiro Crocodilo and countless bizarre fruit-related stories. (I still remember a joke during an opening speech at Art Dubai 2025: “If you know who Tralalero Tralala is, you probably spend far too much time online.” Everyone laughed.)

But this wasn't all just entertainment. Behind the funny videos, imaginary personalities and increasingly realistic Instagram accounts were real people building audiences, experimenting with AI tools and finding ways to make money from them. Some created fictional characters, others used AI to transform their own content, and brands began seeing commercial opportunities in both. What started as a creative experiment for some became a genuine business for others.

And perhaps that is why this new wave raises bigger questions than the technology itself. If AI were simply another way to make content, would we be having quite the same conversation? I don't think so.

But these accounts can attract followers, secure brand deals and compete for the same attention and advertising budgets as human creators. Suddenly, we aren't just asking what AI can create, but what happens when imaginary people become real competition. And, perhaps more importantly, does it change the very idea of why we follow someone in the first place?

One of the biggest fears about AI influencers is that soon we won't be able to tell them apart from real people. Judging by the comments under their videos, we are already having trouble. But here is the funny part: not all AI personalities attracting attention today are even trying to pass for human. Some openly acknowledge that they are AI-generated, while others look and behave so absurdly that it is hard to imagine anyone being fooled.

A while ago, before the current AI influencer craze, a friend of mine launched an Instagram account featuring an AI-generated girl. On paper, she had everything: a gorgeous face, an enviable figure and the full matcha-and-Pilates lifestyle. Basically, everything Instagram supposedly loves. Except the account never really took off. She had everything except a reason to follow her.

Now look at Jean Phil or Abu Shalab. None of them would exactly fit into the traditional Instagram beauty mould. They are exaggerated, a little ridiculous and, frankly, far more memorable because of it. You might not want to look like them, but you do want to see what they will do next.

And there is an interesting piece of research that makes this even more curious. A study published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies compared audience reactions to a real influencer, a human-like virtual influencer and an anime-style character. The almost-human influencer received significantly fewer positive reactions. One possible explanation is the uncanny valley, a concept introduced by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970: that slightly unsettling feeling when something looks almost human, but not quite. Sometimes, the closer a face gets to perfection, the stranger it feels.

Now, I am not suggesting this explains why my friend's AI girl never became Instagram-famous. But it does raise an interesting possibility: perhaps making an AI influencer look convincingly human isn't always the smartest move. After all, if we already have millions of real people to follow, why would we need another perfectly polished imitation?

And that brings us back to the bigger question. Even when we know these characters are AI-generated, we keep watching. Perhaps we don't always need someone to be real, or even believable, to find them interesting. We just need them to give us a reason to come back.

We have always been told that authenticity is the secret to success on Instagram. Be real, be raw, be relatable. People want to follow someone genuine, or so we thought. Then along came the AI influencers and quietly tore up the rulebook. What should have been another short-lived internet craze has refused to leave. People are still watching, liking and following, even though they know there is no one home. So why?

1. We choose entertainment over authenticity

Think about your favourite TV series, cartoon or anime. We know perfectly well that the characters don’t exist, yet we get ridiculously invested in their lives, argue about their questionable decisions and wait impatiently for the next episode. And, funnily enough, nobody has ever stormed out of a cinema shouting, “But he isn’t even real!”

Of course, an Instagram Reel isn’t quite the same as a television series. But the principle is similar: we have never needed our favourite characters to be real to love them. So why should that suddenly change when they move to another platform?

2. We follow characters whose lives we wish we had

When I started writing this article, I assumed there would be a fairly simple explanation for why we get so hooked on imaginary personalities. So I spent some time looking at what they had in common, and I kept landing on the same thing: freedom. Not just the freedom to travel or do whatever they please, but the freedom to ignore all those unwritten social rules that usually hold us back.

They dance in the middle of busy streets, box in front of the Eiffel Tower and perform elaborate routines beside tables at charming French cafés. They are impeccably dressed, they show absolutely no embarrassment and they seem entirely unbothered by the fact that everyone is watching. They do things most of us would think twice about, and they make it look effortless. And we want to have this life too.

And there is actually some psychology behind this. A 2025 study involving 826 Instagram users found that wishful identification — essentially, wanting to be like someone — plays an important role in how we form emotional connections with virtual influencers. Apparently, we don't even need someone to exist to imagine ourselves in their shoes. Even if those shoes are entirely AI-generated.

3. We are curious about what comes next

And finally, who said we have to like an AI influencer to follow them? Perhaps we are simply watching a technological experiment unfold, popcorn in hand. Will the next video look more convincing? Will we spot another AI mistake? And just how far can this technology go?

A 2024 survey by The Influencer Marketing Factory found that 49% of virtual-influencer followers were curious about the technology and creativity behind these characters. So perhaps we aren't following the influencer at all. We are just waiting to see what AI comes up with next.

It is easy to see why the rise of AI influencers might feel a little frightening. After all, how many of us have dreamed of becoming content creators, building an audience and perhaps even making a living from it? And now, apparently, we have to compete with people who don't even exist. Not to mention the uncertainty around how audiences will respond to AI-generated content as it becomes increasingly difficult to tell what is real and what isn't. So, should we be worried?

When I first met Tatiana, she was experimenting with AI on Instagram, mixing real-life videos with imaginary ones. Today, she develops brand strategies, so I was curious to hear how she sees the future of the industry.

Perhaps the real question isn't whether AI influencers will replace human creators, but what will make us choose one over the other.

Which brings us to a slightly uncomfortable conclusion: we might have to work a little harder to earn people's attention and offer something an AI character can't. And rather than seeing AI as a competitor, perhaps it is time we started using it to our advantage.