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AI-generated influencers are here and they look real — are we falling for it?

AI-generated influencers are here and they look real — are we falling for it?

TimesLIVE3 days ago
She's got icy blue eyes, flawless skin and a fashion feed that would make any influencer jealous. But Mia Zelu, the Instagram star who recently 'attended' Wimbledon, isn't real. She's an AI-generated character with 169,000 followers and counting.
Zelu sent social media into a spin after she shared courtside snaps at Wimbledon asking fans: 'Which Wimbledon match was your fave?'
The post racked up more than 16,000 likes and 500 comments with many swooning over her 'natural beauty'. The catch? Mia Zelu is 100% artificial, designed to look human, act relatable, and rack up influence.
The virtual influencer was introduced to the world in March 2025 by her 'sister' Ana Zelu, another AI-generated persona who has been active since early 2024.
Ana captioned their first joint photo: '[Mia] finally decided to open up her Instagram, so show her some love!'
Mia's debut solo post followed a day later with a cosy picture of her in a hoodie with a kitten on her lap and the caption: 'I believe coffee tastes better in cute cafés, and I live for cosy hoodies and deep conversations.'
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