Co-AI-chella! AI influencers cash in on the California music festival – as experts predict the staggering amount the people behind them could be making

AI influencers are making money from Coachella, and some are poised to earn tens of thousands from their content.

You may have noticed an increase in festive content from digital influencers, including celebrities and creators.

These glamorous men and women post photos and videos with celebrities in front of the famous Coachella Ferris Wheel and in carefully selected outfits.

But the problem is that they don’t even exist, let alone attend the festival.

‘COACHELLA. BESTIE EDITION. @its_gigi_mae captioned a photo of herself walking around the festival grounds with another AI friend.

@grannyspills posted a photo with Kylie Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner and joked: ‘The girls stopped by my section!’, while @digitallucas posted a topless photo and wrote: ‘Coachella has been exciting all weekend.’

Now experts have revealed to the Daily Mail how much money the people behind these accounts can make.

“AI influencers can earn over $40,000 from a combination of subscriber revenue and brand endorsements for publishing content during Coachella,” said Lewis Davey, founder of AI influencer talent management agency Pixel.

You may have noticed an increase in content from another group (AI influencers) among celebrities and creators.

A quick search on Instagram reveals dozens of AI influencers profiting from Coachella content, including @digitallucas

A quick search on Instagram reveals dozens of AI influencers profiting from Coachella content.

@lilmiquela, who has 2.3 million followers, posted a carousel of photos on her page, including poses in front of the Ferris wheel.

‘I lived my whole life in one weekend. @coachella I will never forget you,” he wrote.

“Recap of the first weekend of Coachellaaaa,” @ammarathegoat told her 173,000 followers on Instagram, along with a photo of herself appearing alongside Justin and Hailey Bieber.

And @fit_aitana, who has 392,000 followers, posted a series of photos from the festival and wrote: ‘@coachella you’re crazy! Until next year.”

With AI photo and video editing tools getting more advanced by the day, many of these images appear to have fooled unsuspecting viewers on Instagram.

“It really scares me how many people don’t realize this is an AI account,” one user commented on one of @grannyspills’ photos.

“There’s no way you can think this is real,” one added on @ammarathegoat’s Instagram Reel.

‘COACHELLA. BESTIE EDITION. Best day with you,’ @its_gigi_mae shared a photo of herself walking around the festival grounds with a friend

With AI photo and video editing tools becoming more advanced by the day, many of these images appear to have tricked unsuspecting viewers on Instagram.

And someone joked on @lilmiquela’s snaps: ‘Are you made of pixels? Because you’re not real.’

According to Mr. Davey, keeping big events like Coachella on the backburner is a “smart tactic” for these AI influencers.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: ‘AI influencers are increasingly appearing at big cultural moments because it drives interest among their audiences and helps align them with the best moments on the calendar.

‘This is a smart tactic to gain traction in front of brands who traditionally pay real influencers a fortune to attend these events and capture content.

‘Now brands can collaborate with AI influencers, reach their followers and “show up” at events without needing a physical presence.’

Mr. Davey highlights Aitana Lopez, the world’s first million-dollar AI influencer.

‘[She] He “attended” Coachella and shared his experiences with fans; Fans were then able to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content on subscription platforms like Fanvue, he said.

AI influencers are set to become a staple on social media, with people behind these accounts earning over $40,000 (£29,400) from such activity.

According to Mr Davey, backing big events like Coachella is a ‘smart tactic’ for these AI influencers.

In fact, this month alone, more than 2,500 people attended the Fanvue x OpenArt AI Personality of the Year Awards, which have been dubbed the ‘Oscars for AI Influencers.’

Winners will win over $90,000 (£66,000) in prizes, proving their growing lucrative business potential.

“This is a rapidly growing field that will revolutionize the way brands market themselves in the future, and the earning potential for AI creators is huge,” Mr Davey added.