AN eerie AI influencer has announced it will host a popular reality show following a rise to fame.
Alba Renai, an attractive digital influencer powered by artificial intelligence, will become the presenter of a special segment on Spain’s version of popular reality show “Survivor.”
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Alba was created by Be a Lion, a subsidiary of television giant Mediaset Spain, towards the end of last year and has quickly become an internet celebrity.
Looking every inch a normal human being, the AI influencer is a combination of physical and personality attributes deemed most important by a focus group of 350 young adults.
Used this data to create an avatar that would appeal to as many people as possible, Be a Lion came up with Alba.
And things have proved successful so far, with the AI influencer amassing more than 10,000 followers on Instagram.
But things went up a notch when Alba took to the social media platform to let the world know that she would soon be appearing on Spanish TV.
There will also be an appearance on social media as part of a special segment called “Super Secretos con Alba Renai”, where she will share all sorts of exclusive content on the various Survivor contestants.
The announcement video was only a few seconds long but it was enough to quickly send Alba viral once more.
The clip garnered all sorts of reactions, including those from people who don’t know she isn’t a real person.
However, some understandably expressed their concerns that a digital avatar would be encroaching on human jobs.
This isn’t uncommon however, with Asia, for example, renowned for having several countries that have been experimenting with AI newscasters.
Nonetheless, Be a Lion has reassured fans that Alba is not after anyone’s job.
Luis Movilla, director of Branded Content & Experience at Be a Lion, told El Pais: “Human talent is irreplaceable, and we do not intend to do so.
“She has not come to take anyone’s job away.”
He added: “It has not come to replace journalists or communicators, who are irreplaceable and have a value and a human connection that will never be achieved, at least in the times we live in, by a project like this.”
In fact, the use of Alba has actually helped to create more jobs.
The project team at Be a Lion is made up of 32 members, which includes AI experts, engineers, producers, filmmakers, and community managers.
To further ease concerns, there is apparently no side of Alba that isn’t moderated by humans.
“Alba is a collaborative work between humans and machines,” Movilla said.
“Now, humans must have certain skills to be able to operate technological advances.
“We have had to reformulate the educational plan of our own employees and in the labour market we have looked for people who are experts in these innovation projects with skills other than the usual ones.”
While Alba’s step onto national television is a big one, Movilla believes society is not yet prepared to understand the uncertainty posed by the use and application of artificial intelligence.
Nonetheless, he is proud that his company have been able to raise awareness off AI and add to the debates surrounding its use.
“Alba, being an example of a practical use case for AI, has generated debate,” he said. “And we are very proud to have put this debate on the table.”
Alba isn’t the only Spanish AI influencer to have taken over social media in recent months, however.
In November, a Spanish modelling agency created an AI influencer to steer the company out of a rough financial patch.
The pink-haired 25-year-old digital woman, called Aitana, apparently looks real enough to fool a human celebrity, who is said to have slid into her DMs and asked her out.
It comes after another AI influencer by the name of Milla Sofia racked up thousands of followers and likes with tiny bikini and underwear posts.
The images were posted by the AI’s own Twitter account and were also found on Instagram and TikTok.
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