Beyond the Feed: How AI Models and Virtual Influencers Are Taking Over Instagram

Scroll through your Instagram Explore page today, and you are bound to experience a subtle yet profound psychological trick. You’ll pause on a post of a stunning fashion model posing against a neon-lit Tokyo backdrop, swipe through a carousel of a fitness creator sharing a workout routine, or watch a lifestyle influencer chat candidly into a microphone. They look entirely real, carry massive brand endorsements, and command millions of devoted followers.

There is just one catch: they don’t exist.