29 August 2025 The latest podcast by communication psychologist Josef Sawetz comes with an additional video version, enriched by graphics and slides, that visualizes the research insights under discussion. Produced with Google's Notebook LM for the AI-generated voices and Napkin AI for the visuals, the podcast and video explore the rise of AI influencers from a psychological perspective. Alongside, the full article is provided as a PDF, including a Consumer Protection Toolkit, for readers who prefer a text-based overview. Fashion, Influence, and the Logic of the AvatarInfluencers have always existed in fashion—long before digital media coined the term. From Audrey Hepburn's iconic black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's to Kate Moss shaping the 1990s minimalism, style icons and models set trends that reverberated through everyday wardrobes. Over time, the business shifted: models turned into content creators, producing their own channels of influence. In this line of development, the emergence of AI-generated influencers feels less like disruption and more like a natural extension. Where yesterday's muses were flesh and bone, today's are pixels and prompts—programmed to persuade.This brings a wordplay worth noting: these avatars don't have "a mind of their own," only "a prompt of their own"—and that prompt is often designed to sell. Synthetic Trust and the Psychology Behind ItSawetz's podcast unpacks why humans bond with digital figures. Research shows our brains react to synthetic faces as if they were real, sometimes even perceiving them as more trustworthy than human ones. Transparency plays a paradoxical role: when AI influencers openly state they are artificial, they are often judged as more honest than human influencers who might conceal commercial motives. The "perfect imperfection" of avatars—a freckle here, a slightly crooked smile there—further enhances credibility by mimicking human flaws.Yet, these phenomena raise questions of manipulation. Emotional triggers, pseudo-intimacy, and micro-targeted advertising tactics highlight the thin line between clever marketing and psychological exploitation. Regulation, Protection, and Future OutlookWith the EU AI Act and the Digital Services Act now requiring clear labeling of AI-generated content and advertising, the legal framework is catching up. Sawetz emphasizes consumer protection strategies, from browser tools to critical reflection practices, as essential defenses. The podcast does not end on dystopian notes, however. Instead, it sketches a hybrid future in which human and virtual influencers coexist, leaving open the crucial question: how much authenticity do we really want, and how much synthetic persuasion are we willing to accept? |