Lindsay Wielonski
lw293117@ohio.edu
Fifteen years ago, few would have suspected that in the future, the computer could clone a voice after being given a sample of them speaking, and Siri would be invented to act similarly to a personal assistant.
But, because of the rapid development of artificial intelligence, it's no surprise that we're seeing it more and more in our personal lives and the workplace, improving the speed and convenience of mundane tasks. AI is prevalent in almost all fields. It's even making its way to social media influencing. But, this speed and convenience come with many risks.
What's at stake if virtual influencing becomes the norm?
AI presents many dangers as it becomes increasingly integrated into our society. Social media can be toxic, even considering virtual influencing. On social media, it's typical for people only to post the highlights of their lives, which can create an unrealistic view of reality. When compared to others, online is constant; it can be tough to put setbacks in perspective. Additionally, social media glorifies weight loss and promotes perfection in all aspects. One study published in the National Library of Medicine found that both boys and girls making an effort to look like figures in the media were more likely than their peers to develop weight concerns and become constant dieters.
With the lack of a natural person behind influencer posts, the aspects of authenticity and empathy are lost. These two qualities are essential, mainly because of how much of a breeding ground social media can be for comparison and negativity. In addition, virtual influencers can't determine the ethics of a particular post or consider how a post might affect followers.
Another concern with AI's growth is its ability to replicate. Eventually, anyone skilled enough will be able to create very realistic audio clips or videos of politicians or celebrities saying whatever they want them to say, starting with only a tiny sample of them talking. This fact poses a threat to democracy and news, and truth. It will become harder and harder to decipher what is authentic and fake because of the ease of replicating. If anyone can create a video of an influencer saying whatever they want them to say, the truth is at risk.
What standards should influencers be held to?
Influencers must be held to ethical standards, whether computerized or not. The FTC's transparency needs to extend to all influencers on social media and everyday social media users.
Hello Lindsay, I really found your post interesting and also scary in a way. The part where you mentioned in your blog how the media "glorifies weight loss" is very relatable and I have even experienced this first hand. I was scrolling on Instagram one day and saw a 15 second video talking about 15 foods that help with weight loss. I simply double taped the video and next thing I know my instagram is filled with ads about weight loss and influencers advertising nutritious shakes they probably never even actually drink. It worries me for the younger ones who are considered digital natives because they are seeing false advertisement and unrealistic posts. At the end you also mentioned how soon enough people will be able to make politics sound like they're saying something different from what they said which I actually see on TikTok very often and I see it mostly around election time!
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