OpenAlex · 2026-09-30
This article examines how AI-generated 'virtual influencers' are reshaping digital communication on Instagram, turning images into algorithmically produced content and redefining authenticity in the attention economy.
Generative AI is transforming digital images into algorithmic products whose creation and circulation are mediated by technology rather than human experience.
Virtual influencers (digital humans) are emerging as strategic actors in a new digital economy, using tailored visual and narrative tactics to maximize engagement on platforms like Instagram.
A 'post-photographic' scenario is consolidating in which hybrid image production and algorithmic mediation redefine the relationship between reality, representation, and visual culture.