Q&A with NYT reporter Tiffany Hsu about AI-generated online influencers, how the volume of synthetic content produces exhaustion for users, and more
AI avatars are redefining influence and trust online.
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AI-Generated Influencers Are Wearing Down the Internet
NYT reporter Tiffany Hsu breaks down how synthetic AI influencers are eroding trust and exhausting users online.
The flood of AI-generated influencers is fundamentally reshaping how people experience trust and authenticity online. That's the takeaway from a conversation between The Atlantic's Charlie Warzel and New York Times reporter Tiffany Hsu on the Galaxy Brain podcast.
Hsu, who covers the intersection of AI and online culture for the NYT, detailed how AI avatars are now redefining what "influence" even means. The sheer volume of synthetic content — fake personas, generated imagery, machine-written posts — is creating a new kind of fatigue among users.
It's not just about spotting fakes anymore. The constant barrage of content that might be artificial is producing widespread exhaustion. People are growing tired of trying to figure out what's real.
The conversation highlights a growing crisis of authenticity. As AI-generated personalities become indistinguishable from real ones, the very foundation of online trust is cracking.