Virtual Influencers: The Innovative Frontier of Generative AI and New Business Opportunities | by Joel Fukuzawa | Jul, 2023

The impressive advancements of Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney, have captured the attention of corporations and individuals alike, each seeking new business opportunities in this burgeoning field. A prominent example is the emergence of virtual influencers.

In Japan, a start-up named Aww developed a virtual influencer called Imma. This initiative was sparked by the success of Lil Miquela, a virtual influencer developed by a Silicon Valley start-up. Lil Miquela gained significant attention not just online, but also through a Calvin Klein advertisement featuring a kiss with supermodel Bella Hadid during the Super Cup. The intrigue this stirred led to high fashion brands taking a keen interest in her, solidifying Lil Miquela’s pioneering status in the world of virtual influencers.

Around the same time, Japan saw the rise of Kizuna AI, a virtual YouTuber causing a sensation in the country. This was when Aww’s co-founders, Takayuki Moriya and Hirokazu Kishimoto, initiated the Imma project in 2018.

Moriya envisioned Imma to resemble humans more closely than Lil Miquela, aiming to make her CGI presence almost undetectable. Following Imma’s launch, the feedback from countries like Thailand and various South American nations suggested that she was not only realistic but also exhibited an elegant demeanor.

Aww positioned Imma as a virtual model, amassing more than 400,000 followers on Instagram and over 2 million across various social media platforms. Brands, including BMW Japan, have engaged Imma as a spokesperson. Maya Kyo, a senior manager at BMW Japan, expressed the comfort of working with a virtual model free from potential scandals.

However, the creation of a convincingly realistic virtual influencer is no easy task. It requires not only the technical knowledge of Vtubing but also a keen sense of CGI aesthetics. According to Sada, this is why there are few products in the market that can sustain virtual models. Kishimoto’s extensive experience in CGI production provided a solid foundation for bringing Imma to life.