- Global social-first agency with Creator InstinctTM, Billion Dollar Boy, surveyed 6,000 consumers, creators and marketers across the US and UK to understand industry opinion around the rise of AI personas.
- Virtual Influencers: The research reveals three quarters of consumers (76%) trust virtual influencers for product recommendations, prompting two thirds of creators to express concern about increasing competition.
- Digital Twins: With the rise in AI personas, creators are assessing their opportunities with 85% open to creating a digital twin. However, consumers are more wary – 57% say they erode trust in creator content.
November 5, 2025 – New independent research from global social-first agency with Creator InstinctTM, Billion Dollar Boy, reveals that the rise of AI personas – virtual influencers* and digital twins** – is fueling both concern and curiosity among creators.
Consumer Trust in Virtual Influencers Fuels Competition
The study – which surveyed 4,000 consumers, 1,000 content creators and 1,000 marketers across the US and UK – reveals three quarters (76%) of consumers trust virtual influencers for product recommendations, while two thirds (68%) trust them to inform purchasing decisions.
The findings signal that virtual influencers are moving beyond novelty to build real credibility among audiences – developing fanbases, driving engagement, and establishing authority within key categories.
Creators Express Concern over Virtual Influencers
Amid growing consumer trust in virtual influencers – fictional computer-generated influencers – the research results reveal concern among human creators:
- 62% are concerned that virtual influencers are increasing competition
- 57% of US-based creators
- 67% of UK-based creators
- 59% worry that virtual influencers contribute to content oversaturation in consumers’ feeds
- 55% of US-based creators
- 64% of UK-based creators
While virtual influencers do not possess the real-world experiences, emotional nuance or authentic storytelling that make human creators compelling, they enable brands to extend creative campaigns beyond human limitations and offer total brand control, multilingual adaptability, and innovative storytelling formats.
Advancements in AI technology have now lowered the barrier to entry, enabling faster and more cost-effective creation of virtual influencers . However, the most successful virtual influencers remain resource intensive – they often require teams of skilled creatives investing in world-building and crafting ongoing narratives. And so, in reality, while human creators express concern, rising competition from virtual influencers remains limited..
Digital Twins: Investment Rises Despite Consumer Skepticism
As AI personas continue to grow, creators are assessing opportunities with digital twins. Billion Dollar Boy’s research found that 85% of creators are open to creating a digital twin in partnership with a brand for marketing purposes.
Developed with creator consent, digital twins allow talent to expand their presence and alleviate their workload. For creators, many of whom (52%) have experienced burnout and even considered quitting the industry altogether (37%), digital twins present a solution to increase income and diversify revenue streams without overextending themselves.
The findings reflect global growth in investment in digital twin technology, which is projected to rise by 60% annually over the next five years – reaching an estimated $73.5 billion by 2027.
However, consumers are more cautious. Three in five (57%) believe digital twins erode trust in creator content, highlighting a mismatch in perceptions compared to creators – a quarter of whom agree (28%).
Early adopters in fashion and modeling have shown that digital twins have the potential to unlock scale and creative possibilities for creators. However, until a clear use case is established in the wider creator economy – that doesn’t dilute authenticity – creators and audiences will remain cautious.
Becky Owen, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Billion Dollar Boy, comments:
“AI personas open up extraordinary creative possibilities, but possibility doesn’t always equal utility. Just because we can create virtual influencers or digital twins doesn’t mean audiences will engage. We’re in the middle of a cultural reset as AI-generated content floods feeds, and what we’re seeing in real time is a backlash against anything that feels like a shortcut.
“The virtual influencers that thrive aren’t the ones that look the most realistic, they’re the ones that invest in craft, build cinematic worlds, and tell stories that feel alive. The same goes for digital twins: if they’re deployed as a cheat code, they risk eroding trust rather than building it.
“Audiences are always drawn to effort, to honesty, to storytelling, to the visible work behind creativity. That’s what can’t be replaced. For virtual influencers and digital twins to succeed, they must have a clear purpose, a role that’s genuinely useful, and a foundation of transparency around licensing, identity, and consent. Without that, the risk isn’t just irrelevance, it’s rejection.”
This research forms part of Billion Dollar Boy’s upcoming report: Muse Two: The Real Impact of AI on the Creator Economy, set for release on November 4, 2025. It is the second volume in a series of reports by Billion Dollar Boy exploring generative AI. The first, Muse One: How Generative AI is Influencing the Creator Economy, launched in November 2023 following the creation of Billion Dollar Boy’s innovation unit, Muse, in April 2023.
The first edition explored AI’s early impact on the industry, during the technology’s honeymoon phase. Two years later, the new report examines how opinions have shifted and explores the technology’s expansion into new areas, including: the rise of ‘vibe marketing’, AI creator personas, ethical blind spots, and its impact on trust in creator marketing.
To receive the full report upon release, register your interest here.
