The Dark Side of AI Influencers: How AI Influencers Are Affecting Children’s Mental Health?

The Dark Side of AI Influencers: How AI Influencers Are Affecting Children’s Mental Health?

Experts are concerned about a growing trend in artificial intelligence-powered social media influencers, which could harm children’s mental health.AI influencers are computer-generated internet personalities who, like human influencers, promote brands and products.

The problem stems from the presentation of these AI influencers as “perfect” humans living a “perfect life,” which has the potential to harm the self-perception and emotional well-being of younger users.Alexa Eden, the creator of EDEN, an AI training consulting firm, voiced concern about the long-term repercussions of exposing young users to AI influencers that promote unrealistic beauty and lifestyle standards.

She emphasised that these AI-generated influencers are created with a thorough understanding of human psychology, with the goal of projecting perfection from a marketing, psychological, and emotional standpoint.
Milla Sofia, an AI-generated influencer who has gained popularity on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, has recently emerged to highlight the expanding trend.Milla Sofia’s posts, despite being computer-generated, garner praise and attention from people, with some expressing romantic interest and praising her attractiveness.Eden expressed concern about the long-term effects on self-perception, particularly among young girls growing up in a digital world where AI influencers set unattainable beauty standards.

Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have previously been linked to teen mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
The negative impacts of social media on mental health have been acknowledged by digital behemoths such as Meta (previously Facebook), which indicated that Instagram can be detrimental to teen females’ self-esteem.
Researchers discovered that Instagram’s effect made a large number of teen girls feel worse about their bodies.

Given the psychological trickery involved in portraying AI influencers as perfect beings, scientists such as Eden worry whether this approach has any long-term benefits.