Human vs. AI Influencer Activism: Exploring Self-Branding and Issue Advocacy Effectiveness Through Social Influence Processes

This study examines the factors influencing the effectiveness of influencer activism in shaping self-branding and advocating for social issues through a social influence lens, focusing on influencer type (human vs. artificial intelligence [AI]) and race (Black vs. White). Two experiments examined the interplay between influencers’ social identity and influencer–issue congruence: one with human-centric racial issues (Study 1) and another for AI-involved racial issues (Study 2). Results indicated that in-group (human) and minority (Black) influencers received more positive evaluations compared to out-group (AI) and majority (White) influencers, which further enhanced evaluations of the issue. Additionally, the minority influence (Black over White) effect was more pronounced for out-group AI influencers than for in-group human influencers, particularly in the context of human-centric issues. Furthermore, the in-group preferences could be mitigated by increasing the issue relevancy to out-group sources. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between influencer type, race, and issue type, offering insights into optimizing influencer and cause selection for effective influencer activism.