A Spanish model is proving to be very popular among her fans and is now bringing home $11,000 a month... the only thing is, she doesn't actually exist.
Yes, we have long been warned that AI will one day take over the world, but I'm not sure anyone thought that it would be earning $132,000 a year by posting images online in 2023.
Aitana Lopez is a 25-year-old pink-haired model with a massive online following. However, Aitana isn't a real person, but a creation of Spanish designer Rubén Cruz.
Utilizing artificial intelligence, Cruz has been able to craft a lifelike virtual personality that he is now profiting from.
Cruz, the innovative mind behind Aitana, is now reaping the financial rewards of his digital creation thanks to the model's enthusiastic online fanbase.
"We did it so that we could make a better living and not be dependent on other people who have egos, who have manias, or who just want to make a lot of money by posing," Rubén Cruz explained in an interview with EuroNews.
As the founder of the AI model agency The Clueless, Cruz shared the backstory of how Aitana came to life. Faced with challenges while working with real-life influencers, Cruz and his team at The Clueless decided to venture into the world of AI-generated models.
Aitana's online presence is meticulously curated by the AI agency, with a team using Photoshop to determine her activities, locations, and content without the complexities of working with human creators.
"People follow lives, not images," Cruz emphasized, explaining the need to "tell a story" with Aitana's content since she isn't a real person. The model is presented as a Barcelona-based fitness influencer and gamer, even assigned a star sign (Scorpio).
With an Instagram following of more than 132,000 fans, Aitana has become a lucrative advertising asset. Cruz and his team can now charge up to $1,000 for advertisements featuring her image. Additionally, fans subscribe to Fanvue, a subscription-based platform, to access exclusive adult content of the AI model.
Surprisingly, Aitana's realistic appearance has led to high-profile celebrities sliding into her direct messages, oblivious to the fact that she is computer-generated. Cruz shared an anecdote about a Latin American actor who once asked her out, saying: "He had no idea Aitana didn't exist."
Cruz sees potential cost savings for companies, suggesting that using virtual influencers could provide a more affordable alternative to traditional celebrities like Kim Kardashian.
Despite criticism for going along with societal beauty norms, Cruz argues that adhering to this aesthetic is necessary for the models' success in attracting brand partnerships. "If we don't follow this aesthetic, brands won't be interested," he explained.
While AI integration raises concerns about deepfakes and misuse, Cruz believes in the positive impact of their AI models on the advertising landscape.
It turns out we've been doing it wrong and we'd be making more money if we were AI.
