AI-Generated Influencers Take Over Social Media While Promoting Crypto
AI-generated social media influencers like Jean Philanthrope are taking TikTok and Instagram by storm, accumulating millions of views while quietly promoting volatile meme cryptocurrencies.
If you have scrolled through TikTok or Instagram recently, you might have encountered a blond man with a bob haircut, a curled mustache, and a brown suit, shadowboxing in the middle of the street. His name is Jean Philanthrope, and he has already amassed tens of millions of views. However, there is one small detail: he does not exist at all.
Jean is a character created using artificial intelligence, and he is far from alone. In recent weeks, the web has been flooded with other bizarre characters, including Brigitte Macaron, a bespectacled blond with hundreds of thousands of followers, the mustachioed Dahab Daddy, and Abu Shalab, who stars in surreal videos. All of them feature an unforgettable look, exaggerated behavior, and millions of views.
The Rise of AI Influencers and Crypto Scams
According to an investigation by BBC Verify, the operators of the Jean Philanthrope account confirmed that it is an AI-generated character. However, behind the bizarre videos lies an economic story: just a day after the character's first video was published, the account began promoting a cryptocurrency named JEANPHIL.
"The coin reached a peak estimated market value of about $12 million, but later recorded sharp drops," according to industry data.
This is a meme coin whose value is mainly influenced by the popularity of a trend or character on the web. According to the Crypto Media Zone website, the wallet that created the coin accumulated about $245,000 in trading fees.
Unanswered Questions and Real Money
The creator of the character claimed to the BBC that they did not create it for the purpose of promoting crypto and that they did not receive payment for the promotion. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the account operators are connected to the wallet that accumulated the fees, and their true identity is still unknown. Meanwhile, the figures continue to accumulate millions of views, and real money is already rolling behind at least some of these non-existent faces.
