New Research Demonstrates Marketers Open to Experimenting with AI While Influencers Remain Optimistic But Cautious Regarding the New Technology

SocialPubli, the leading global micro-influencer marketing platform, today announced the release of the AI in Influencer Marketing 2023 study, the latest in a series of annual industry reports covering the evolution of the content creation economy through the perspectives of its key players. The global study engaged both influencers and marketers to better understand how AI is impacting and reshaping the industry.

AI is still in its early stages of development but has already impacted essential aspects of influencer marketing, including content brainstorming and creation, influencer discovery and vetting, and campaign performance measurement and analytics. The study’s findings indicate that the adoption of AI within the influencer marketing space continues to increase but that there are still areas of uncertainty related to the use of this burgeoning technology.

“Nine in ten influencers report already being familiar with artificial intelligence while half are already using AI to support their work. On the agency side, nearly eight in ten marketers are leveraging AI for work, demonstrating its growing potential to support and enhance partnerships between brands and the influencers they work with,” said Ismael El-Qudsi, CEO of SocialPubli. “At SocialPubli, what we’ve seen is that AI is not only expediting processes but also enhancing campaign effectiveness and opening up new possibilities for creativity and engagement.”

When conducting the survey, SocialPubli polled 1,235 influencers as well as marketers from 73 agencies across Europe and the Americas.

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INFLUENCERS AND AI

While influencer perceptions of AI vary, the majority of influencers lean toward cautious optimism regarding the impact AI has had on society and on their field of work.

• AI – A Threat or an Opportunity? 71.4 percent of influencers view AI as an opportunity for growth and success.
• Current Use of AI: 51.7 percent of influencers report already using AI to support their work. Top AI uses include brainstorming ideas (45 percent) and generating images, video or copy (34 percent).
• Virtual Influencers: About 30 percent of influencers polled reported following or engaging with virtual influencers.
• Trust and Reliability: In the case of influencers, a majority of them trust the information provided by AI, with nearly 64 percent relying on the data it offers.
• Future Outlook: 36.9 percent of influencers report excitement as their main feeling toward the increased use of AI, while 41 percent report feeling equally excited and concerned.
• Transparency: About two-thirds of respondents said they would disclose the use of AI to their followers, while one-third said they don’t consider such disclosures necessary.

MARKETERS AND AI

Marketers typically see AI as an opportunity, using it for various tasks, and emphasizing trust in AI data while advocating for transparency in disclosure.

• AI – A Threat or an Opportunity? 81.7 percent of marketers indicate that they see AI as an opportunity.
• Current Use of AI: The most common uses include social media copy (47.2 percent); generating images or video (38.9 percent); editing (36.1 percent); research (34.7 percent).
• Virtual Influencers: 62 percent of marketers are open to teaming up with virtual influencers, but only 27.5 percent have worked with virtual influencers. Of those that have, 21.7 percent have had positive results.
• Trust and Reliability: 76.1 percent of marketers surveyed trust AI data, indicating their willingness to incorporate AI into their processes.
• Future Outlook: Almost 55 percent of marketers feel more enthusiasm than concern about the rise of artificial intelligence. Only 15.5 percent are concerned or have a negative perception.
• Transparency: 84.7 percent of marketers want influencers to disclose whether they are using AI in sponsored campaigns.

According to El-Qudsi, influencer marketing can flourish with AI, but only when both sides are transparent and communicative about their efforts. “Authenticity has always been a hallmark of influencer marketing,” El-Qudsi said. “AI is a technology in development and there are many gray areas to be identified and addressed as it becomes more widely adopted. As the potential for incorporating AI into marketing efforts grows, it will be critical for brands and influencers to agree together on the aspects that matter to them, including transparency in their communication and in their use of AI tools to support their content efforts.”

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