The Global Story: The AI models invading our feeds

Summary

Global News Podcast: The Global Story – The AI Models Invading Our Feeds

Release Date: December 15, 2024 | Host: BBC World Service

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Introduction

In the December 15, 2024 episode of the BBC World Service's Global News Podcast, titled "The Global Story: The AI Models Invading Our Feeds", host Lucy Hawkings delves into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the influencer industry. Accompanied by BBC cyber correspondent Jo Tidy, the episode explores the rise of AI-generated influencers, their implications for societal beauty standards, ethical concerns, and the future landscape of digital personas.

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The Evolution of Social Media Influencing

Lucy Hawkings initiates the discussion by highlighting the pervasive influence of social media personalities on everyday consumer choices, from skincare routines to holiday destinations.

Lucy Hawkings [00:32]:
“We live in a world of influences. Whether it's our skincare routine, the clothes we wear or the places we visit on holiday, social media celebrities are shaping our everyday choices.”

Jo Tidy elaborates on the historical progression of social media influencing, tracing its roots back to early 2000s blogging, the advent of Facebook, and the subsequent rise of YouTube and TikTok. She emphasizes how platforms began monetizing content creators, leading to the professionalization of influencer roles.

Jo Tidy [02:00]:
“You have to go back to the days of blogging. So early 2000s, early days of the Internet, really. People start off, I don't know, a dishwasher review website... and then you start getting a bit of money, changing hands.”

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Emergence of AI Influencers

Transitioning from traditional influencers, the episode introduces the concept of AI influencers—entirely artificial personas crafted using advanced AI technologies. These digital figures mimic human behavior and aesthetics to engage audiences on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Lucy Hawkings [05:30]:
“Today, though, we're talking about AI influencers. I think that what an AI influencer is is probably just in the name. But can you explain to us what we are talking about? What are they?”

Jo Tidy [05:40]:
“An AI influencer is a creation that's been built by humans in a studio or by an individual hobbyist or something that doesn't exist... they are an artificial intelligence created product.”

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Case Study: Aitana

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Aitana, one of the most prominent AI influencers created by the Clueless Agency in Barcelona. Aitana boasts photorealistic features, distinctive long pink hair, and a curated lifestyle that appeals to vast online audiences.

Jo Tidy [06:27]:
Aitana was created using tools like stable diffusion, allowing the agency to control every aspect of her persona and appearance. "She looks the same as the rest... but the novelty element, but she looks how she looks that are really getting people excited."

The podcast details Aitana's creation process, including the meticulous design of her personality, style, and interactions to ensure authenticity and relatability despite her artificial origins.

Unnamed Speaker [08:39]:
“We take a picture with me in the image and we have to replace it with AI... complement all the prompt with more things like the clothes, the acting.”

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Ethical Implications of AI Influencers

Jo Tidy raises concerns about the ethical dimensions of AI influencers, particularly regarding unrealistic beauty standards and the perpetuation of a male gaze in digital representations.

Jo Tidy [13:25]:
“There are others like her out there that are AI generated models and influencers... there is a very much a kind of a male gaze running through this kind of art or culture.”

Critics argue that AI influencers like Aitana set unattainable standards, especially affecting young audiences who may struggle to distinguish between real and artificial personas.

Unnamed Speaker [14:14]:
“I think they're setting an unrealistic beauty standard that is close enough to being real that a lot of people who follow them don't realize they're not real, especially teenagers, young teen girls.”

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Control and Creation of AI Influencers

The episode explores the extent of control exerted by creators over AI influencers, ensuring consistency in branding and messaging. This control allows for continuous engagement without the unpredictability associated with human influencers.

Jo Tidy [09:46]:
“They are fully in control of this person. They can run her ragged because she doesn't exist.”

Moreover, the creation process involves generating multiple variations of an AI influencer to maintain fresh and engaging content across different settings and scenarios.

Jo Tidy [10:52]:
“The Software made about 25 different variations of Itana in that position. And if we want, we can do a simple prompt now put a Itana.”

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Regulatory and Accountability Issues

A critical issue addressed is the accountability of AI influencers. While platforms like Instagram mandate that AI-generated accounts must be labeled, enforcement remains lax, leading to potential misinformation and deceptive practices.

Jo Tidy [15:38]:
“They are open about that in the profile. Not at the top... but there is still an issue because most people don't look at the profile of a picture that pops up on their feed.”

The conversation also touches upon future regulatory measures, such as restricting AI influencer content from appearing in children’s feeds, though policing such actions poses significant challenges.

Jo Tidy [21:10]:
“If there was any legislation brought in, I imagine it would be something like no AI influencers on the feeds of children. But so hard to police.”

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Future of AI in Influencer Industry and Beyond

Looking ahead, the podcast speculates on the increasing autonomy of AI influencers and their integration into other industries. Examples include the development of AI voice assistants with human-like personas and AI-generated music artists.

Jo Tidy [22:18]:
“We're going to want to humanify these robots in these machines. So that was quite an interesting point and I can see that happening a lot more.”

Additionally, Jo Tidy references initiatives like Notebook LM by Google, which utilizes AI to generate conversational podcasts, indicating a broader application of AI-generated content beyond social media influencing.

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Conclusion and Insights

The episode concludes with reflections on the inevitability of AI's integration into media and the importance of responsible usage. While acknowledging the creative and commercial potentials of AI influencers, Jo Tidy emphasizes the need for awareness and discernment among users, especially younger demographics.

Jo Tidy [24:14]:
“In terms of what they're consuming, I think it's really important to know what's real and what's fake... but in terms of what they could be doing, I think it's very exciting. If you use it responsibly, you can do some pretty amazing things.”

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Key Takeaways

• AI influencers like Aitana represent a significant shift in the influencer industry, offering controlled and scalable digital personas.

• Ethical concerns such as unrealistic beauty standards and the potential deception of audiences, especially minors, are paramount.

• Regulatory frameworks are lagging behind technological advancements, posing challenges in ensuring transparency and accountability.

• The future landscape may see increased autonomy of AI models and their application across various sectors, necessitating proactive measures to address associated risks.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jo Tidy [02:00]:
  “You have to go back to the days of blogging... then YouTube started paying back creators for views.”

• Jo Tidy [13:25]:
  “There is a very much a kind of a male gaze running through this kind of art or culture.”

• Jo Tidy [24:14]:
  “I think it's really important to know what's real and what's fake. Easier, easy way. Read the bottom of the captions.”

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This episode of the Global News Podcast offers a comprehensive exploration of AI's burgeoning role in shaping online influences, highlighting both the innovative strides and the ethical quandaries that accompany this technological evolution.

Transcript

[Jo Tidy]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Hello, this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson with your weekly bonus from the Global Story, which brings you a single story with depth and insight from the BBC's best journalists. There's a new episode every weekday. Just search for the Global Story wherever you get your pods and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode. Here's my colleague, Lucy Hawkings.

[Lucy Hawkings]

We live in a world of influences. Whether it's our skincare routine, the clothes we wear or the places we visit on holiday, social media celebrities are shaping our everyday choices. But as technology advances, the lucrative influencer industry is being reshaped by models created using artificial intelligence. And with some AI influencers accumulating massive followings, critics are raising questions from the unrealistic beauty standards they could set to the accountability of anonymous creators. So as AI models seem certain to play an increasingly prominent role online, are developers conscious of the ethical questions? And are users equipped to decipher what's real from what's artificial intelligence? With me Today is the BBC's cyber correspondent, Jo Tidy. Hi, Jo.

[Jo Tidy]

Hi, Jo.

[Lucy Hawkings]

I think if we were all asked, we would confess that we've tried products, restaurants, clothes, listened to music, all sorts of things, because we've seen it on social media. We are all, at the moment being shaped, it seems, by influencers at some stage.

[Jo Tidy]

Oh, yeah, I think so. I think if you say that you're influencer, immune, then you're probably lying, aren't you? Because there are certain people and characters and celebrities that we look up to or are interested in and they have got absolutely enormous followings. So even if you weren't directly impacted, what you might find is that someone in your life has been impacted by them.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Can we pinpoint, though, the moment when the concept of social media influences first emerged?

[Jo Tidy]

You have to go back to the days of blogging. So early 2000s, early days of the Internet, really. People start off, I don't know, a dishwasher review website. And they become very passionate about it. They do regular content updates. People find the blogs, read them, become trusted, these individuals who are doing the content. And then eventually, of course, you'd get advertisers and product owners saying, oh, hang on a minute, that person's got an audience and they're a loyal, trusted audience. Why don't we get them to sponsor our product or get them to review our product? And then before you know it, you start getting a bit of money, changing hands and then of course, things really kicked off sort of 2000, 4, 5, 6, with the rise of Facebook, when suddenly your blog becomes even bigger. And then we move into YouTube, and YouTube sort of took blogging to vlogging, and then people became very, very popular on YouTube, so brands came to them. And the difference as well, I think this is really important inflection point in the whole of social media influencing is that's when YouTube started paying back. Hey, creators. Today we're announcing exciting Updates coming to YouTube. First, we're providing new monetization opportunities and expanded access to more creators with the YouTube Partner Program. So if you were on there doing very, very well, you were getting paid by brands to influence what people bought, but also you were getting paid by YouTube for the views you got, which drives engagement, drives you doing more content, all the rest of it. And then, of course, we're now in this era of all sorts of influencing, whether it be through sponsorships on brands or live appearances and filling out, you know, hauls and things for content creation in front of your audience. Even lives at home that you can do on TikTok, where people can gift you money as well. It's not just about selling in advertising anymore. It's about having your whole content built around, how can I bring in extra revenue?

[Lucy Hawkings]

We're looking for a new oven at the moment, and I literally fell down a rabbit hole of influences around what kind of oven we should get. It was extraordinary, the amount of content that was available just on that one thing.

[Jo Tidy]

And the problem is you've started looking for it now. So now they'll be sending you these things for months.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Absolutely. That is exactly what's happening, Jo. But how do influencers earn most of their money now and how much money are they making?

[Jo Tidy]

It depends on the platform. So, for example, if you're an influencer or a YouTuber on YouTube, then you will get sort of two different revenue streams. One from the video views that YouTube will pay you a share of the ad revenue, and the other one is from deals that you can do in your video. So quite often you'll see people pause their video on YouTube and they'll say, hey, have you seen this new technology product? It's amazing. I've been using it for weeks. And then they carry on with the video after that. Whereas if you're Instagram, there's no money back from the company. They've been talking about whether or not, you know, to give money back. But it's about the brand sponsorships for your posts, for example, and People can earn a lot. So, for example, Kim Kardashian, hundreds of millions of followers. She would probably be able to command hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even millions of dollars per post if she posts about a particular product.

[Unnamed Speaker]

All right, so I'm going to take you through my nine step process. Step one is cleanser. I do a few pumps and I mix it with a bit of water to make a creamy foam and it leaves my face just feeling super clean, but really hydrated.

[Jo Tidy]

And what we're seeing is more and more of these social networks are realizing that if they can get the influencers on board, then they get the audiences on board. And that's what X, or formerly Twitter, is trying to do, is give money back to people who get decent engagement on the platform.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Today, though, we're talking about AI influencers. I think that what an AI influencer is is probably just in the name. But can you explain to us what we are talking about? What are they?

[Jo Tidy]

Yes, all the people we've been talking about so far, they've all been real life human beings out there.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Sometimes you wonder with Kim Kardashian.

[Jo Tidy]

It's true, that's a point. We'll come as well. You do wonder with some of these people. But anyway, an AI influencer is a creation that's been built by humans in a studio or by an individual hobbyist or something that doesn't exist. So they'll be posting pictures on usually Instagram or occasionally, but a video potentially maybe on TikTok, and they'll be living a life as if they're a real person, but they're not. They are an artificial intelligence created product, I suppose. And that's the reason why this is happening now is because of this rise of generative AI. So it's now so simple and easy to make almost. Well, yeah, photorealistic images of people that don't exist.

[Lucy Hawkings]

You've been to meet the team in Barcelona behind one of the biggest AI influencers at the moment, Aitana. I've recently been introduced to her as well, knowing that we were going to talk about her and have very quickly become quite obsessed with Aitana, actually showing her to everyone following her online. But how was she created? Tell us a bit about Aitana.

[Jo Tidy]

She was created by a studio in Barcelona called the Clueless Agency. And the story goes that they were becoming a bit fed up with the kind of diva attitude of some of the influencers they were being asked to work with on adverts or sponsorship deals, that kind of thing. So they decided to start Playing around with artificial intelligence and loaded up things like, for example, stable diffusion, which is a text image generator, so you can type in anything you want, wait a couple of seconds and then the AI will produce a picture. And they thought, hang on, if we create our own model that can build her own following, we can control the person, or rather the creation completely. So they did. And they started about a year ago. They created this very attractive sort of, if you can imagine what the Hollywood perfect body would be, that's kind of what Itana is.

[Lucy Hawkings]

And chiseled cheekbones.

[Jo Tidy]

Chiseled cheekbones, very. Yes, slim. All the rest of it, you know, and she's got very distinctive long pink hair. And that apparently, according to the creators, is one of the reasons why she really stands out. And the thing about these pictures is they are very, very realistic. You would be hard pressed really to know the difference.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Genuinely. I did not know.

[Jo Tidy]

Yeah.

[Lucy Hawkings]

And I think it's first shown to me that she was AI generated.

[Jo Tidy]

Yeah. I think some people, they might think, oh, I can tell straight away. But I think to the untrained eye, which is, to be honest, most of us, isn't it, you look at this person, you think, wow, okay, that's a real person.

[Lucy Hawkings]

And also when I was first showing her, she was on my ph. And so she's even smaller, so she looks, you know, it's harder to see some of the imperfections, which is how.

[Jo Tidy]

99% of people would come across Itana exactly as you say, on a small screen, like a phone.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We intend to always try to make it as similar as what an influencer will do. We take a picture with me in the image and we have to replace it with AI. So we have to play a little bit with lights and shadows to make it as real as possible.

[Jo Tidy]

And you wouldn't really know it's AI. It's in the profile writing that this is an AI made creation. But Itana doesn't just post. They don't just post pictures of Itana. Do you say how I almost personified her, that you've got to be so careful with artificial intelligence? But they don't just post pictures of her, they have stories. So on Facebook, you know, you have these things on your reels where you can post, you know, this is what I've been doing today. 10 seconds of her doing shopping, 10 seconds of her out for lunch with friends.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Well, let's be more specific. In the past few days, it's been Itana's birthday.

[Jo Tidy]

Oh, I didn't know. Happy birthday.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Here you go. I'VE got. So they posted her at the table. There were balloons, she'd set the table for people who were coming around for her birthday dinner.

[Jo Tidy]

That's so interesting. I had a chat with them when I was there, saying, are you gonna age her? Is she gonna age sort of in real time? And they're still deciding whether or not to as sort of mid-20s or whether or not to age her. Yeah. So it's this whole idea of her being not just a model, but an influencer. So that is someone who lives a life of glamour, of fun, of luxury products. Because, of course, as an influencer, that is crucial.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We spent like two months creating this personality and understanding how she would speak, how she would, like, interact with her community. So this is why we believe she has been working and she still works.

[Jo Tidy]

If you're going to be an influencer, that post about your boring life where you don't do anything, no one's going to want to sponsor that. You're not going to hold many Louis Vuitton bags and stuff like that.

[Lucy Hawkings]

But they're really particular about what she wears. For instance, they make very definite decisions because they've created her with a certain sense of style. So therefore they won't dress her in a certain way.

[Jo Tidy]

Yeah. And that was interesting when we were in Barcelona, because we went out on a shoot with them and they. They talked us through the process of how they take pictures of nothing and then pictures with someone on the team and then they just swap out the person for Ayatana. And it's so sophisticated, this artificial intelligence machine they've built. They wouldn't say exactly which piece of software it is, but we can imagine it's sort of stable diffusion. Plus others, they are open source, of course, so anyone can download those and tweak them and use them. And they wrote in Itana on a sunny day enjoying so and so in the park, Press to go.

[Lucy Hawkings]

I mean, they went up to Parc Gueld and it's very famous in Barcelona.

[Jo Tidy]

Yeah, Very picturesque already. But the. The Software made about 25 different variations of Itana in that position. And if we want, we can do a simple prompt now put a Itana.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And then complement all the prompt with more things like the clothes, the acting.

[Jo Tidy]

Different poses, different outfits. At one point, for some reason, it put a leather hat on her head and the team started laughing because they were like, oh, Aitana would never wear that.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Aitana will never wear this, for example.

[Jo Tidy]

Right. That's what you love.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So it's funny because it's like, wow, I would love her to wear this, but she will not wear this.

[Jo Tidy]

Which made me laugh because of course she doesn't exist.

[Lucy Hawkings]

There are other advantages, I suppose, to Aitana. She never gets tired.

[Jo Tidy]

True.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Never mind they can work her 24 7. I mean, what else do they say about the benefits of having Itana rather than a real person?

[Jo Tidy]

Well, that's the one they always come back to, is the fact that they are fully in control of this person. They can run her ragged because she doesn't exist. But I think there's also an element here of the novelty factor because there are some brands out there who know that Itana is AI, know that she's got this almost iconic background of how she created and how she's become so famous. We should say as well, she's got 335,000 followers on Instagram. So she is, as far as I could find, the most popular, this new wave of realistic looking models. So there's the novelty element, but there's also the fact that she looks how she looks that are really getting people excited. And she's done a lot of brand deals. They reckon they make thousands of dollars a month through advertising and sponsorship. With her, the best they've done is 10,000amonth.

[Lucy Hawkings]

So we've looked at influencer culture and how recent AI developments have transformed this industry. Next I want to look at the ethical considerations surrounding AI models like Itana and the future of these digital celebrities as the pressure for perfection intensifies. Online, you're listening to the Global Story from the BBC World Service. There's a fresh episode available as a podcast each weekday. Just search for the Global Story wherever you get your podcasts. With me is Jo Tidy. Jo Aitana. When you look at her, many people would say she's perfect. Is there a sense that AI influencers like Aitana are setting really unrealistic beauty standards?

[Jo Tidy]

100%, yeah. I think if you look at the pictures of Itana and has to be said, there are others like her out there that are AI generated models and influencers. They're all very sexualized, they're all very slim women with big breasts and they all act and look in certain sort of coquetish ways. There is a very much a kind of a male gaze running through this kind of art or culture, whatever you want to call it. And there are some pretty heavy critics about this because of course already with influencers we see perfect lives, particularly Instagram being displayed to us. People are super slim. They use very clever lighting to make themselves look even better or Angles, you know, and then you have this extra level that's now coming in of artificially generated women who are looking an unattainable level of traditional attractiveness.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I see huge issues with the rise of AM models and influencers. I think they're setting an unrealistic beauty standard that is close enough to being real that a lot of people who follow them don't realize they're not real, especially teenagers, young teen girls. But then that perfection is so unachievable because it isn't real. That is something like none of us can ever reach.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Have they tried to create an artificially generated woman who is more realistic?

[Jo Tidy]

They said they have, because the two things that this agency in particular does is they do Itana, which is an influencer brand, sponsorship deals, that kind of thing. But they also do bespoke AI creations for brands. And they said to me that they have tried to do kind of more curvy models, for example, or different diverse looks. But really, according to them, the advertisers only want the traditional Hollywood style woman because that's what gets the most eyeballs.

[Unnamed Speaker]

In the beginning, we tried to make more curvy models, for example, or more not standardized models. And clients didn't like that. They usually want like a perfect model. But you can see this everywhere in publicity.

[Jo Tidy]

They have said they're now experimenting. They've built some men, some male AI infrastructure.

[Lucy Hawkings]

I was about to ask anyone on the scene.

[Jo Tidy]

Yeah, well, no one wants them. No one's interested. They haven't released any as influencers, but they have released some as kind of models that they could put on different advertising campaigns. And according to them, no one wants that.

[Lucy Hawkings]

There have been a few occasions, Joe, where online content created with AI has not been signposted correctly. Are they obliged these influencer accounts, these AI influencer accounts to declare that they're enhanced or even who is behind them?

[Jo Tidy]

Yes, it has to be labeled in some way saying AI generated. That's according to Instagram's terms and conditions. And they're all the ones that I found when I was researching this story. They do, they do. They are open about that in the profile. Not at the top. Perhaps it'll say influencer from Chicago interested in this, this, this and this AI generated at the bottom. And that's even worse when you look at the pictures, because of course there's normally a caption to go with the pictures and then right at the bottle it will. It'll say, this is AI generated. So I think potentially there is an issue there because of Course, most people don't look at the profile of a picture that pops up on their for you page, for example, or their algorithmically generated suggestions of what you might be interested in. Scroll through it. And I think even if they are labeled, there are some people that haven't really understood that or they haven't read that. Because if you look at the comments on some of Itana's pictures, for example, they say things like, wow, I wish I had your body, what's your gym routine? That kind of thing. And I don't think it helps when Itana does posts about being in the gym and working out and great workout in the gym today. This is the nutrition brand that I use, or these are the sports equipments that I have in the gym. This all kind of perpetuates the myth surrounding Itana as being a real person that works hard in the gym, watches what she eats and looks like she does. Really?

[Lucy Hawkings]

Itana, though, is controlled. But are we going to get to a point where these AI generated influences are going to become more autonomous and actually create content without that kind of human input or control?

[Jo Tidy]

Quite possibly. I think the whole point of having an AI influencer under the control of a person or a studio is that you can control them and that you can do anything with that character to make money for yourself. So I think there will be a little bit of a point in which the automation becomes a problem. So right now, yes, you could make a chatbot, for example. You could talk to Itana for days if you want to, and that could be a good idea for fans, for example, but then you wouldn't want her to say something wrong or do something wrong which affects her image. Because this is all about image. That's all it is. It is very superficial. And it's all just about how you can use an image of someone that doesn't exist to make money.

[Lucy Hawkings]

That will then raise the question, though, who is ultimately going to be accountable for the content.

[Jo Tidy]

Yeah. And that is a conversation we will no doubt be having in a few years time. My mind just drifted off to another story that I've been doing recently about an AI chatbot that was created to keep scam callers on the line for as long as possible. Oh, isn't that lovely? A survey, you say? I'd be delighted to help, dear. Give me a moment though. My hearing is not what it used to be, so I might need you to repeat things now and then. And that is completely automated. So they just trust that that AI that's pretending to be A sort of doddery, confused old lady is not going to go off script too much and say something silly. The stakes are very low there because this is an organization that's trying to annoy some criminals. Doesn't matter if this AI says something silly. But if you've got AI influencer that's gone off the rails a bit, that is a potential problem.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Is Aitana and other characters like her the precursor to not just what you've described in terms of the scamming, but just the more widespread use of AI models in other industries? Thinking about one of the jobs that I do as a BBC news presenter, Am I about to be replaced?

[Jo Tidy]

Have you heard of Notebook lm?

[Lucy Hawkings]

No.

[Jo Tidy]

This is a. This is a massive thing that's sort of gone viral. Recently. Google has created a new AI system whereby you can put whatever information you want into it and then it will read you a 10 minute, 20 minute, half an hour podcast with two fake people, two Americans, and they're having a very, very lifelike chat about the topic. So people are using it for their research. If you're, for example, you're doing a paper on photosynthesis and you're down the gym, you don't want to read that. Put it into the Notebook LM and you can hear two fake AI creations having a chat about your paper.

[Lucy Hawkings]

All right, so you've been asking about.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This whole brain rewiring thing and how to actually use it to get stuff done.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Not just like the feel good stuff, but real change, you know?

[Jo Tidy]

Exactly. No sugar coating today. We're going deep on this. Straight from Bob Doyle's Evolve youe Excellence handbook, stuff he usually reserves for his paying clients. But we're giving you that inside track. Love it.

[Lucy Hawkings]

No fluff, just straight to the good stuff.

[Jo Tidy]

We're racing towards a very synthetic future when it comes to media. I think that people know that influencers on Instagram, they are projecting a perfection anyway without AI even. For example, do you know some of these pictures that you see of quite rich people in private jets? They might not be on a private jet because you can hire a private jet that doesn't leave the airport and just take pictures of yourself inside a private jet for clout. So there's already a real layer of fakeness to social media. So some people would argue is AI much of a leap on from that? And that is the argument from the Clueless agency. They will say, well, if you compare Itana to other influencers, she's the same as the rest.

[Unnamed Speaker]

At the end of the day, she's an influencer, but comparing her to the rest of the influencers, she looks the same as the rest. I believe that we are here to stay and AI technology is here to stay as well. So in a way we have to like combine and hold hands and see if we can do it together.

[Lucy Hawkings]

For so many people listening, this is all actually quite worrying. Does it also mean that we can expect some other regulatory action to be taken by governments? Or how would that work, or what would that look like? Jo?

[Jo Tidy]

I think it would be really difficult because you could argue this is art. You could argue this is using computers to create art in the same way that a portrait photographer would do that. I suppose what we're seeing already is social networks getting on the front foot and trying to do something. So they've written in the last few years, if this is AI generated, you'd need to label it. Whether or not they're enforcing those rules, I'm not sure. As I mentioned, the ones that I found were labeled, but kind of in the smallest way possible, the way that governments are going, particularly in the UK and in the EU and in the us, we are seeing a drive to try and protect children online. So if there was any legislation brought in, I imagine it would be something like that. So, for example, you would have no AI influencers on the feeds of children. Something like that. But so hard to police.

[Lucy Hawkings]

So from what you've seen in your experiences in Barcelona, where is all this headed?

[Jo Tidy]

Joe what I found really interesting when I was in Barcelona with the Clueless agency is what they're working on right now is a project that is very, very 2024. They are trying to come up with the face for the AI in car voice assistant for a major car company and they've called it Eileen because everything they do has an AI in it.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Hola. Meleen is.

[Jo Tidy]

It just strikes me as something that is inevitable because we're talking to AI now by voice assistants all the time. It's going to increase. I'm not just talking obviously about Alexa or Siri or hey, Google. It's going to go on and on and on and we are going to want to humanify these robots in these machines. So that was quite an interesting point and I can see that happening a lot more. The other thing they're doing which is potentially interesting and exciting for them is they've created another AI influencer because Itan has been so successful, who is less sexualized. Again, it's a young woman, but she's got a blonde buzzcut and she is a musician. As well as the pictures and the stories, they're adding music as well. Because of course, music is now very much up for grabs when it comes to generative AI. So that's something I could see going quite fast in that direction. Because I think if you're a commercial entity, you're looking beyond the influencer sponsorships and the brand deals, you're looking at appearances. And if you think about some of the appearances, music wise, we've had in the last few years, for example, with ABBA, during a five week recording session with 160 cameras, they had to wear special suits with digital devices to capture every movement. The performances today will be edited with their faces of yesterday. You've seen the ABBA show, they do Voyage. Yeah, yeah, Voyage. Where they have holograms.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Holograms, yeah.

[Jo Tidy]

Why not do that? If you're an influencer agency, you're trying to branch out and get into different industries. I can see that happening.

[Lucy Hawkings]

If you had a group of teenagers here with us right now, what would be your best piece of advice to them around how they're using AI and what they're consuming?

[Jo Tidy]

I suppose there's two different things there. There's what you're consuming. I think is really important to know what's real and what's fake. Easier, easy way. In this example, just be to read to the bottom of the captions because it normally be labeled go to the profile.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Have you seen a teenager scroll though on their phone?

[Jo Tidy]

Yes, I've seen me scroll as well. Hours and without much stopping to read the captions. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Whereas in terms of the other question of what they could be doing, I think it's very exciting. I think if you're a teenager, it's way beyond what it used to be. So when I was at university, Facebook was just starting and you know the idea of being an influencer in some way. Yeah, there were bloggers out there, but no one was making serious money or having an entire career where you can fill out arenas and stuff just from social networks. But that is there. And when you've got AI on your side as well, if you use it responsibly, you can do some pretty amazing things. I don't think we should be scared of AI. I think that we should work out how to use it responsibly.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Jo, thank you. I hope we see each other again.

[Jo Tidy]

The real people.

[Lucy Hawkings]

Real people. And yeah, I'm not out of a job very soon because of the AI generated newsreader. Thanks, Jo.

[Valerie Sanderson]

If you enjoyed listening to The Global Story and would like to hear more. There's a new episode every weekday. Just search for the Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts and be sure to click subscribe or follow. We'll have another edition of the Global News podcast later. Until then, bye bye.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yoga is more than just exercise. It's the spiritual practice that millions swear by. And in 2017, Miranda, a university tutor from London, joins a yoga school that promises profound transformation.

It felt a really safe and welcoming space. After the yoga classes, I felt amazing.

But soon that calm, welcoming atmosphere leads to something far darker. A journey that leads to allegations of grooming, trafficking and exploitation across international borders.

I don't have my passport. I don't have my phone. I don't have my bank cards. I have nothing.

[Lucy Hawkings]

The passport being taken, the being in a house and not feeling like they can leave.

[Unnamed Speaker]

World of Secrets is where untold stories are unveiled and hidden realities are exposed. In this new series, we're confronting the dark side of the wellness industry, where the hope of a spiritual breakthrough gives way to disturbing accusations.

[Lucy Hawkings]

You just get sucked in so gradually and it's done so skillfully that you don't realize. And it's like this secret that's there.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I wanted to believe that, you know, that whatever they were doing, even if it seemed gross to me, was for some spiritual reason that I couldn't understand.

Revealing the hidden secrets of a global yoga network.

I feel that I have no other choice. The only thing I can do is to speak about this and to put my reputation and everything else on the line. I want truth and justice and for other people to not be hurt, for things to be different in the future.

[Lucy Hawkings]

To bring it into the light and, and almost alchemize some of that evil stuff that went on and take back the power.

[Unnamed Speaker]

World of Secrets Season 6 the Bad Guru Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.