The next era of 'influencer' in an AI-first world

The influencer era isn’t over. It’s transitioning.

Social media platforms have always grown and changed. Despite their current, intricate (often compulsive, mostly overwhelming) role in our daily lives – where every minute surrendered can feel like pulling a lever in a casino with no winning ticket – the story of technology is one of constant evolution. These specific platforms, like those before them, will eventually wane. The rise of sophisticated AI agents promises to accelerate this transition.

In a world rapidly taking shape, each of us could have our own AI agents acting as both curators and filters for our informational lives. You can imagine your AI agent sorting through the incessant noise, becoming a source for insights and recommendations tailored precisely to you. It bypasses the need to follow hundreds or thousands of disparate human voices; instead, it synthesizes vast streams of information, presenting options and perspectives aligned with your interests, values, and cognitive style. Influence itself shifts: from a broadcast model (one-to-many) dominating the social media era, towards a model of personal synthesis (AI-to-one).

For now, let’s park the issues pertaining to an “AI-filtered world.” But I assure you, there are several. Not least of which include biased world views shaped by the AI models, echo chambers, and more. Stay tuned for part 2.

Influence isn’t disappearing; it's transitioning

While the notion that “the influencer era is over” is gaining traction, I think it misses the nuance. Influence isn’t disappearing; it's transitioning. In an AI-mediated world, the signal from a trusted human potentially becomes more valuable as it passes through more rigorous filters. Crucially, who constitutes an influential human shifts dramatically. Influence becomes less about mass appeal or follower counts cultivated through algorithmic luck, and more on demonstrable alignment with the specific values, interests, and trust criteria defined by the individual user and their agent. The paradigm shifts away from sheer visibility towards perceived, verifiable value.

This deeper seeking is already evident in the growing preference for thoughtful niche creators over generic noise. The rise of Substack and newsletters, the rapid growth of podcasts—we are taking more control over where we place our attention. A trend AI agents could accelerate by allowing users to more directly guide their agents towards sources offering the substance and resonance they seek – driven by admiration, the desire to learn, or shared interests.

Consider my personal media diet focused on economics, emerging technologies, and geopolitics. My AI agent could identify the analyses that resonate most, are intellectually stimulating according to my known preferences, and meet my criteria for rigor. Efficiently delivering depth over breadth.

But this vision prompts a crucial question: if algorithms and agents filter everything, will people still be motivated to create and share their work? Why pour effort into analysis or artistry if it might simply be summarized, repackaged, or even ignored by an opaque AI filter?

The incentive structure for creators and contributors, however, doesn't vanish; it shifts. While intrinsic motivations like passion and intellectual curiosity persist, the goal evolves beyond chasing unpredictable virality. Contributors will be incentivized to craft high-quality, reliable signals intended for receptive, relevant audiences identified by intelligent filters – moving from shouting in a stadium to engaging in focused dialogue. In today’s social media world enragement often equals engagement. The loudest and most polarizing voices dominate our feeds, particularly in the political sphere, even though studies consistently show that most people hold views closer to the center. In the future, however, users could instruct their AI agents to seek out nuanced political content representing more balanced perspectives. The amplification of the fringes that social media currently prioritizes could therefore diminish. The validation sought is recognition for consistently providing rigorous analysis, prescient insights, or resonant creative work.

The new metrics defining success

The metrics defining success must evolve beyond likes and follower counts. Instead, we can anticipate the rise of new benchmarks implicitly tracked and valued within this ecosystem, such as relevance scores indicating how often an agent surfaces the work for specific user needs, trustworthiness ratings derived from AI analysis of source history and methodology, and measures of engagement depth within the creator's community. Further indicators might include the frequency of integration or citation in other high-quality analyses facilitated by AI, alongside positive validation from recognized peers and experts – all signals AI agents can potentially track and weigh.

Even as AI agents become adept filters, the distinctly human element of community retains, and perhaps even increases, its significance. Trust, aspiration, and validation remain fundamental human needs. Your AI agent might synthesize an economist's research, but the weight you give it is still linked to the who – the admiration for that economists rigor or values; the rooms that economist is in that you also aspire to be in; how genuine and authentic you believe that economist is in pursuit of their work. Beyond the individual source, the community surrounding that “influencer” acts as powerful social proof. Observing respected policymakers, academics, or industry leaders engaging with the content validates its importance. Audience size matters less than its caliber; a large, relevant audience signals broad resonance among a key group, while a small, influential one signifies deep niche authority. Cultivating a genuine, engaged community therefore remains vital, serving human needs while also providing rich data for AI assessment.

The "intelligentization" of influence

This rise of AI agents signifies an "intelligentization" of influence. Baseline expectations will shift; people and brands must anticipate deeper scrutiny as our agents investigate claims, verify data, and cross-reference sources routinely. Simple, unsubstantiated endorsements from generic mass influencers will likely wither under this digital diligence. However, primal human connection and aspiration remain potent forces. Consider the Duchess of Sussex effect. When the Duchess wears an item or fans spot a skincare product on her shelves, it sells out immediately. This type of influence and community admiration will likely still be a decisive factor. The AI might still verify the product's ingredients or surface clinical studies – providing valuable context – but the initial desire is sparked by the human connection. This underscores that while AI raises the bar for evidence and transparency across the board, the power of a genuinely influential human figure and the strength of their dedicated community remain paramount. Competition changes: it demands both demonstrable substance and the resonance that fosters true community and aspirational loyalty. In many ways, community and authentic human connection still win, but they operate within a landscape demanding far greater verifiable substance than before.

Of course, just as search engine optimization (SEO) and algorithm hacking became standard practice in previous digital eras, we can anticipate attempts to "game" this new system. Efforts will inevitably arise to manipulate AI agents, optimizing content not necessarily for genuine value, but purely for discoverability and favorable filtering – an era of "AI Agent SEO," if you will. Maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of these AI systems against such manipulation will be an ongoing challenge.

Ultimately, we are moving beyond an era defined by the sheer volume of information towards one potentially defined by its curated relevance and verifiable trustworthiness. AI agents stand poised to become critical gatekeepers in this new landscape. The future of influence likely belongs not to those who shout the loudest, but to those who can consistently provide the verifiable signal that resonates through the intelligent filter.


Stay tuned for part two on the risks of an AI-mediated world.