Brands are paying for AI-generated influencers to promote products on social media, and in most markets nothing obliges them to tell you the "people" in the ads don't exist. That's the core finding of an investigation by The Guardian, published June 21, 2026.

The synthetic content mimics genuine customer experiences — a woman wearing a dress at a restaurant, a happy user reviewing an app — with no clear indication that the figures shown are computer-generated. Some content creators building this material have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, preventing them from discussing their work publicly.

What the investigation found

Reality Defenders, a cybersecurity company specializing in deepfake detection, identified several brands running AI-influencer campaigns.

Photo app Once likely used AI-generated influencers in its marketing, according to the firm's analysis. Housing project design app Maket also ran promotion through an AI-generated influencer, though the company framed it as an experiment rather than a core part of its marketing strategy.

Fashion provides the sharpest example. Dubai-based brand Ashle posted a photo of what appeared to be a woman wearing its clothes at a restaurant. The Guardian asked about AI influencer use; the image came down. An Ashle spokesperson said all garments are real, but some early launch-phase marketing imagery used AI to showcase designs.

Why brands do it: the price tag

The economics are blunt. Clarissa Mansbridge, a former celebrity manager who now creates AI influencer images for brands, puts the traditional alternative at a premium. "Brands want high-end photography but they don't want to pay $20,000 to $70,000 for a traditional photoshoot," she said.

Mansbridge also estimated that 40% to 60% of content from some big brands is now AI-generated. That figure, if accurate, means synthetic content is no longer an edge case — it's a substantial share of what consumers scroll past daily.

The regulatory gap

No specific rule currently mandates that brands disclose AI-generated advertising content. In the UK, that gap has no immediate fix on the horizon.

The EU's Artificial Intelligence Act, which takes effect in August, will require clear labeling of AI-generated or manipulated content — deepfake images, audio, and video included. But that legislation does not apply in the UK, leaving British consumers outside its protection.

Consumer group Which? has called for clear notification when promotional content features AI-generated influencers instead of real people. Lisa Barber, editor of Which? Tech, flagged the trust problem directly: consumers can no longer assume the content they see online is authentic. Brands, she argued, must be transparent when content is AI-created, especially when it features synthetic influencers.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) acknowledged there are no specific rules against brands posting undisclosed AI-generated promotional content. The regulator's position is narrower: such content must still comply with existing advertising rules and must not be misleading or socially irresponsible. Whether an undisclosed synthetic person qualifies as misleading remains an open question under current rules.

The bottom line for the industry

The picture that emerges is a market moving faster than its regulators. AI influencer content costs a fraction of a $20,000-to-$70,000 photoshoot, scales without scheduling constraints, and carries no disclosure obligation in the UK. Brands experimenting range from a Dubai fashion label to photo and architecture software apps.

For marketers, the calculus is straightforward — but the reputational risk cuts both ways. Ashle pulled its image after a single press inquiry. Maket rushed to describe its campaign as a mere experiment. The NDAs signed by content creators suggest some brands know exactly how their audience would react to knowing the truth.

Until disclosure rules catch up, the burden of spotting synthetic influencers falls on consumers. With 40% to 60% of some major brands' content already AI-generated, per Mansbridge's estimate, that task is only getting harder.