AFTER K-POP, AI HAS COME FOR INFLUENCERS: MEET SPAIN'S 1ST VIRTUAL MODEL AITANA LOPEZ

The dizzying, ever-changing landscape of the tech world is consistently pushing the envelope. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is practically everywhere, occupying video and audio spaces. In recent years, the K-pop music industry has tapped deep-fake technology to manufacture groups resembling real people. Virtual girl groups like Eternity and Mave, created using AI, have blurred the lines between entertainment and technology. Whether one likes it or not, these advancing and unsettling changes are here to stay.

Among one of its latest targets, AI has also come for influencers. Aitana Lopez is a 25-year-old AI-powered influencer, one of its first kind from Spain. Switching lanes to her Instagram, @fit_aitana will hit you with uncanny realism, as the creation of her “virtual soul” has meticulously crafted out a personality that is exceedingly life-like and resembles the presence of a real-life model.

Her Instagram has already amassed over three hundred thousand followers. She can reel in impressive earnings that reportedly go up to €10,000 (nearly ₹9 lakh) per month.

Meet Spain's first AI influencer: Aitana Lopez

Launched by the AI modelling agency The Clueless, Aitana is a fully AI-generated model designed by the company's founder, Ruben Cruz.

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Per Euronews, Cruz's groundbreaking creation was fuelled by the agency struggling to forge committed business deals with real-life influencers. “Many projects were put on hold due to problems beyond our control,” The Clueless founder said.

As a 25-year-old, Aitana is described as a “strong and determined woman, independent in her actions and generous in her willingness to help others” by The Clueless. The AI model is also said to be a Scorpio who shares a love for video games, and is dedicated to the fitness lifestyle. Her vibrantly constructed design boasts Aitana as a standout with a diverse personality.

The Clueless even declares the AI influencer sporting eye-catching pink hair as an extroverted character with “complicated humour and self-centeredness.”

The “gamer at heart and fitness lover” powered by AI is said to have 12/11/1998 as her birth date. Her Instagram posts portray a digitally created world that pushes for the illusion of her indulging in activities of the real world.

Bolstered by her trend-setting launch, the AI agency introduced her fellow virtual companion, The Clueless' second AI model, Maia Lima.

Akin to K-pop's experimental play being mired in controversies and criticism, the advent of AI influencers has pushed unrealistic beauty standards. While one may choose to focus on contemporary technology making headway, this side of the virtual story is not one without fears for the future either.

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2024-04-18T22:56:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd