Like many medical school students, Sam was broke. The 22-year-old aspiring orthopedic surgeon from northern India got some money from his parents but spent most of it on licensing exams and immigration fees. He turned to online gig work, trying YouTube shorts and study notes before hitting upon a novel idea: creating an AI-generated girl for bikini photos.

Sam’s venture took a political turn when Gemini suggested targeting the MAGA niche. Within months, his ‘Emily Hart’ account was raking in thousands with provocative posts and merchandise sales. The success of these AI-driven influencers raises questions about digital literacy and political engagement on social media.

Valerie Wirtschafter from the Brookings Institution notes that while fake profiles aren't new, AI has made them more convincing. Yet, Emily’s liberal counterpart failed to gain traction, suggesting a divide in how different audiences perceive AI-generated content. Sam concludes that the MAGA crowd's susceptibility lies in their relative ignorance.

The algorithm rewarded controversial content, leading to high engagement even with negative feedback. This trend has raised concerns about the potential for extremist narratives, as Sam speculates about an AI Nazi influencer achieving similar success. The consequences of such phenomena are troubling but perhaps not surprising given the current landscape of online misinformation and polarization.