Proving that you can't trust anything you see online in 2025, people might be shocked to learn that one influencer who is reportedly making $15,000 a month is an artificial intelligence creation.
As artificial intelligence continues to take over our lives, there has been a rise in influencers who are merely machines masquerading as real-life people.
Doing the 'dead internet theory' no favors, influencer Nikki Bellini is proving popular on social media.
Like how we covered how the 'best' restaurant around is actually just an AI creation, Bellini is another clever computer that fools us all.
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As shared by Indy100, Bellini's prominence has risen in the aftermath of Coachella. The California-based festival welcomed Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Green Day, and more, but if you wanted to run into Bellini there, you'd sadly be out of luck.
The Australian influencer apparently received 'hundreds' of requests to meet up with people at Coachella's second weekend, but she couldn't be found wandering the grounds at Indio's Empire Polo Club.
Despite only being launched in January 2025, Bellini has amassed an impressive 345,000 followers. A scroll on her feed shows the buxom blond posing in bikinis, often sunning herself poolside or in some exotic location.
Her creator has discussed Bellini's popularity, with Nicole telling the outlet: "Nikki’s DMs have been flooded in the past couple of weeks.
"Getting invites to meet up is a regular occurrence but with Coachella Weekend 2 coming up - and hundreds of the biggest celebs and influencers expected to attend - her messages have exploded."
Nikki has apparently been inundated with requests, with Nicole adding: "It’s not just men. Girls have also sent DMs asking to meet for a drink, to get ready with them or to dance. It’s wild."
While some might be able to clock that Nikki is made with artificial intelligence, it seems many of you are being fooled.
Now, there are concerns that these AI influencers could be taking brand deals away from their human contemporaries.
Talking about the idea of AI content creators, Fanvue head of AI James Thompson explained: "In the past 12 months we’ve seen innovative brands across music, fashion and sport partner with AI Influencers - and help their creators earn thousands in the process.
"Take Aitana Lopez, one of the world’s biggest AI Influencers with over 350k followers on Instagram. She’s fronted an ad campaign for Spanish brand Llongueras in Times Square, and regularly promotes brands online."
As for the rise of AI influencers, Thompsons concluded: "Real life and digital influencers are crossing over more and more, and we can expect AI Influencers to 'show up' on their socials at events like Coachella."
For those who are disappointed that they can't actually meet Nikki, it seems Nicole isn't too bothered by their feelings. She summed up the situation as she said: "While Nikki can’t be physically at the event, she can still talk to fans on her Fanvue account and Instagram, talk about the music, the best acts to follow, where to eat.
"Nikki will be Coachella-goers' digital pal throughout the festival and it’s a full time job responding to her fans - in fact fans will get closer to, and have more interaction with Nikki than a celeb."
Much like how AI creations are taking over platforms like OnlyFans and we're even getting AI beauty contests, Instagram is being continuously flooded with these digital influencers.