AI influencer – A Barcelona tech agency built Aitana Lopez, a 27-year-old AI “virtual soul” with nearly 400,000 Instagram followers, brand deals with Amazon Spain and others, and monthly income estimated at $50,000 to $80,000. Her rise sits inside a rapidly growing $32.55 bil
On Instagram, Aitana Lopez looks like she belongs in the same scroll as any other young influencer: Pilates workouts, glossy model shoots, and photos posing in front of Coachella’s iconic Ferris wheel and inside the Alo gym.
But the details don’t add up the way they do for real people. The 27-year-old is a Scorpio, her long hair is dyed a soft shade of pink with dark roots coming through, and she “doesn’t exist.” Behind the account is a Barcelona-based tech agency, The Clueless, whose team calls her a “virtual soul.”
Aitana is powered by artificial intelligence—and her social platforms, combined, have nearly 400,000 followers. A team of eleven people runs what looks, to many viewers, like a single personality with a life, a style, and a growing commercial footprint.
The business case for AI influencers is no longer theoretical. Influencer marketing is now a $32.55 billion industry, and U.S. influencer spending is expected to hit $12.17 billion in 2026. A new report from Sociallyin, a social marketing agency, says six in 10 marketers already use AI in influencer campaigns. In 2025. a survey by the social and influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy found that roughly 79% of senior marketers surveyed said they are increasing investment in AI-generated creator content.
Aitana’s creators say they didn’t build her as a faceless bot. They treated her like a person with a reason to be followed.
“The most important thing for Aitana is that she has a backstory,” says CEO and cofounder Diana Núñez. “We give her a family, a pet—she has a cat—she has a zodiac sign, a favorite movie. Her crush is Jacob Elordi.”
For brands and marketers, the logic is straightforward: content that never sleeps. The pitch comes with a kind of relief—no scheduling conflicts, no fatigue, no waiting for someone to eat or rest.
“We can make a whole month of content in one morning,” Núñez says. “With AI, it’s about volume.”
Her account doesn’t only broadcast. Aitana also responds.
Aitana responds to comments and interacts with other profiles. The team messages fans, who pay to chat with her through the subscription-based platform Fanvue. “If someone wants a photo with Aitana, we reply,” Núñez says. “Obviously there are guys trying to flirt with her, and we don’t answer those.”.
The numbers behind the trend suggest why that kind of interactivity matters. AI influencer content has already generated 216.7 million views across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, according to data from Virlo.ai, which tracked 1,300 videos from 959 creators.
And interest isn’t limited to tech-forward audiences. Whop reports that one in three Gen Z consumers now make purchasing decisions based on recommendations from AI-generated influencers, and nearly half of college-aged Gen Z consumers follow at least one AI influencer.
There are also rewards—real, branded incentives—that signal the mainstreaming of AI creator culture. An “Oscars for AI influencers” is now a feature of the space. with Aitana serving as an official ambassador and a $90. 000 prize fund up for grabs. The AI Personality of the Year awards are hosted by OpenArt and Fanvue. with backing from AI voice company ElevenLabs. and entries are scored on quality. inspiration. brand appeal. and social clout using a points-based system. Bonus points are even awarded for having the “right number of fingers and thumbs.”.
The economics of the shift are easier to see in Aitana’s own deal sheet. The Clueless says Aitana has partnerships with Amazon Spain, Fanvue, footwear brand Gioselin, and swimwear brand Berlook. Her average rate for a paid post ranges from $6,000 to $8,000. Her broader business—brand deals. sponsored posts. and her bespoke “skincare” brand Vellum. a software program designed to enhance the skin texture of other AI avatars—generates roughly $50. 000 to $80. 000 per month.
That revenue stream is part of a wider migration in creator work. As AI becomes more accessible. more creators are following the money. and many of these digital characters—Aitana included—promote courses on how to build AI influencers. Núñez frames that strategy as a move beyond simple sponsorships.
“She’s moving from just being an influencer to being someone who inspires people to learn something,” Núñez says.
Still, not everyone is convinced that AI will simply replace human creators.
Burnout is already a major issue in the creator economy, and a recent study of more than 500 North American influencers found that 62% report burnout. The study also suggests much of that burnout can be attributed to the financial instability of the profession.
When it comes to performance. a separate report from Twicsy analyzed the earnings. revenue streams. and audience engagement of 11. 514 virtual and human influencers. It found that sponsored posts from human influencers still generate 2.7 times more engagement than those from AI influencers. Human influencers are liked 5.8 times more and earn 46 times more than their AI counterparts.
The tension is visible in the way creators choose to build their brands. Twicsy’s findings suggest that if a human creator’s edge comes from personality. storytelling. and genuine connection. it may not be easy for AI to replicate quickly. But those built around highly aesthetic, easily replicable content could be more vulnerable.
Núñez doesn’t frame it as a takeover—at least not yet.
“We’re not trying to replace jobs,” she says. “Right now we have 10 people behind Aitana. We’re trying to show a different type of content and create more possibilities with AI.”
For now, Aitana’s creators describe what they’re actually building with plain business language: a brand.
“As for Aitana, while she looks uncannily human, what The Clueless are building is essentially a brand,” Núñez says. “The fundamentals are very similar—identity, voice, and audience. Aitana is a brand, like Kylie Jenner is a brand.”
AI influencer Aitana Lopez The Clueless Instagram Fanvue influencer marketing Sociallyin Billion Dollar Boy Whop Virlo.ai OpenArt ElevenLabs Vellum Amazon Spain influencer spending