The relationship between AI and influencers is … complicated

The relationship between AI and influencers is … complicated AI companies like OpenAI are building armies of influencers to promote their products. Bloomberg/Getty Images AI is making waves in the creator economy — and it goes well beyond slop.The rise of technology has set off a complicated relationship between AI companies and influencers.The basic issue: AI presents a lucrative opportunity for influencer marketing and creator productivity, but also comes with big risks.Business Insider has interviewed creators, talent managers, and other influencer industry insiders about how they're adapting to AI's role as public tumult over the technology — from data centers to lavish brand trips — reaches a boiling point.Most pressing for creators: Their jobs are built on the trust between them and their followers, and AI has the potential to damage those relationships.Read more: The creator economy is debating whether influencers can post AI ads without alienating their fansSome creators now feel they have to be extra transparent about if, how, and why they're using AI."I very frequently tell my audience that there are ethical and moral reasons to use AI. When I do, it's from an accessibility perspective," said Ashton McGrady, whose content has received AI labels on social media platforms (even if little AI was used). She told Business Insider that she rarely uses AI in her work.For many creators, AI is unavoidable. "It's really difficult to have a fully AI-free experience right now, no matter what line of work you're in," creator Lissette Calveiro told Business Insider.Read more: Influencers are afraid of the AI "Scarlet Letter"While AI's arrival has brought with it some chaos, it's not all bad news. Influencers working with AI companies are lapping up the AI-boom cash.Top AI companies are offering some creators five to seven figures to promote their tools, according to three talent managers Business Insider spoke with.Tech companies like Google, Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI, as well as startups like Higgsfield, are leveraging creators' loyal audiences to educate potential customers about AI tools.OpenAI, for instance, has been building an army of influencers to promote ChatGPT as a helpful tool in many facets of life. Data from influencer marketing platform HypeAuditor revealed that OpenAI has been doubling down on hiring creators.Read more: OpenAI is enlisting an influencer army to make it look "good for the world"These AI paychecks, however, come with one big asterisk: potential backlash.As more AI brands welcome influencers into their marketing strategies for both consumer and enterprise customers, creators can be left at a crossroads. Will I anger off my fans? Or will they support me getting the bag?Have a tip? Contact Sydney via email at sbradley@businessinsider.com or Signal at @sydneykbradley.123. Contact Dan at dwhateley@businessinsider.com or Signal at @danwhateley.94. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read next Sydney Bradley has been covering media and tech for Business Insider since 2020. She breaks news and writes extensively about Instagram and Facebook, as well as new social media startups, dating apps, the creator economy, venture capital, and tech culture.She regularly contributes to BI's "After Hours" series, where our reporters dive into the social scenes shaping tech, media, and finance.Sydney's reporting on Instagram was nominated as a finalist for the 2021 Los Angeles Press Club National Entertainment Journalism Awards.She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in American Studies. You can follow Sydney's work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at @sydneykbradley.Have a tip? You can also contact her via encrypted messaging app Signal (@sydneykbradley.123), encrypted email (sydneykbradley@proton.me), or standard email (sbradley@businessinsider.com). Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely. Dan is a correspondent at Business Insider covering TikTok, YouTube, and the business of social media.He writes about how creators earn a living from social apps, the inner workings of companies like TikTok, and the many ways that social media is impacting Hollywood and other industries like e-commerce, sports, music, and news.He previously wrote about marketing and entrepreneurship at Ad Age and Inc. Magazine. He was a McGraw Scholar in business journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and a graduate of Middlebury College. Disclosure: Dan previously worked at the ad tech company, The Trade Desk, where he was granted stock as part of his compensation. Influencers Creator economy OpenAI More Anthropic Instagram Meta TikTok