53% of the Consumers in the US are Following AI or Virtual Influencers on Different Social Media Platforms

Many companies on social media are using AI-created influencers to make their brands grow. Most of these identities are AI generated or digital avatars. The researchers over at Influencer Marketing Factory did a survey of 1,000 consumers to find out how well AI and virtual creators are performing on social media feeds.

The survey found out that 53% of those surveyed consumers are following at least one virtual influencer while 22% of them are familiar or know some of those entirely virtual personalities.

There are many AI generated influencers on social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram with millions of followers. Among these personalities are Magazine Luiza with 69 million Instagram followers and Lil Miquela with 2.6 million Instagram followers. Lil Miquela was created by a tech startup known as Brud and this AI influencer has worked with many brands such as Samsung and Prada. 49% of the consumers said that they followed these AI personalities because they were curious and wanted to know how they work on social media while 36% said that they followed the creators for entertainment. Some participants in the survey also said that they followed the creators because they wanted to know about new products from a virtual point of view.

36% of the participants of the survey also said that they would like if the virtual stars write about their AI nature in their bio to avoid any misunderstandings. When the participants who were not following any AI creator the reason for not following, they said that they are not interested while some replied that they are more interested in real relationships than engaging with AI.

The report also showed that YouTube is the top social media platform with most virtual celebrates with 59% of the participants following them there. TikTok was the platform with the second most virtual personalities with 56% of the participants following them there. Instagram had 51% of the participants following AI influencers, followed by Twitch with 18% followers. 63% of the participants following virtual stars were Millennials and Gen-Z. 71% of the participants in the survey also admitted that despite following all these AI influencers, they haven’t made a purchase after being inspired by them.

Read next: The Impact and Importance of Children’s Technology Use
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Botify Survey: Majority of Shoppers Embrace AI Search for Product Discovery

Botify conducted a survey to find out what shoppers thought of using AI search for finding new products on different platforms. As we know, many search engines including Google have added AI-generated anwers in their search results so Botify saw some potential in discovering new products this way. The results of the survey showed that 44% of the shoppers know what generative AI search is, out of which 58% of Gen-Z and Millennials each knew about it the most while Baby Boomers (74%) didn’t really know about generative search.

The respondents of the survey were asked whether they have used AI search or not, and if they were satisfied with the results. 37% of the respondents answered that they have already used the AI search and found out that they are satisfied with the results. 34% of them said that there is no difference in regular and AI search while 28% said that they feel like they have to explain their query more while making an AI search.

• Also read: The Most Confusing Emojis of 2024

The participants of the survey were also asked if they preferred a result page of AI generated results or traditional results. 54% of them answered that they prefer AI generated results. When asked the reason why they use AI search, 41% of the respondents said that they use AI search for online shopping. 19% of them used it for news while 12% of them used AI search for asking health related questions.

The survey asked the respondents if they believe that AI generated results can make online shopping and discovering new products easier. 55% of the respondents, which were the majority, answered yes. 36% of the respondents in the survey hadn’t used AI search while 25% of them just used it for testing. 17% of the consumers also preferred AI search results over traditional results because it is easier and faster for AI search results to show up.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Musk Claims X App Hits 600 Million Users, Doubling DAUs Since March

Elon Musk is known for making some very striking comments online and most of them tend to get an overreaction from the critics, in case you did not know.

Currently, a trending topic has to do with Musk’s confession about the number of monthly active users that some are casting doubts over.

It’s not an official update, we agree, as Musk is famous for passing some far-fetched comments online. But seeing the tech entrepreneur reveal that the figure stands at 600 million today is just overwhelming for many of us to accept.

Musk says that’s the truth and he couldn’t be more proud. So that means out of the 600 million people out there, half of them are using the app on a daily basis! How’s that for shocking!

It’s a lot to accept because nearly 60 days back, we heard something else. X made an official report of 550 million monthly active users and DAU hit 250 million with stats published online. So now, we’re being told that the huge increase has taken place without any sort of justification as to how, why, and where this arose.

However, some do feel it can be believed as the app hit the 500 million monthly user mark in March of 2023. Depending on these kinds of stats, X has added 50 million more people in less than a year and that has increased by the same amount in nearly eight weeks. How’s that for some tremendous growth?

Coming back to daily active users, the growth is much greater because the app hit 250 million for DAU in November of 2022. It reiterated that same figure for this year in March and you’re telling us that zero growth arose in a span of 16 months? Okay, clearly something is missing here.

Now, all of a sudden, it’s another 50 million daily active users as per this note. We agree this is not the official statement but Musk’s confession is super vague and needs to be called out in terms of transparency and what really is going on.

If this is to be believed, the app is growing and that’s a huge endorsement in terms of the direction where the app tends to be going and where it once existed in the past.

Remember, the app needs users, and revenue is down by nearly 50% from what Twitter used to have before Musk came into power. Creating the right audience is never easy and could give rise to lucrative offers from bigger players taking part in making investments in the firm.

Now real facts and figures always count and seeing advertising partners shoo away is never great because it’s Musk who has been to blame in that regard. But if the chance to get great success was there and in the company’s best interest, who can ever say no?

Currently, X does not have the massive audience size that we’ve seen with Twitter in the past so there’s a long way to go to actually win more stakeholders over. But if the app really does hope to gain again, it’s major news that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Expanding potential is never looked down upon, provided the sources it's coming from can be trusted. And as far as Musk is concerned, we’re not sure if the majority see him as an official and the most trustworthy source for X’s user stats.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Google Defends Its AI Overviews In Search Despite Results Going ‘Off The Rails’ But Vows To Take Action
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Defends Its AI Overviews In Search Despite Results Going ‘Off The Rails’ But Vows To Take Action

AI Overviews on Google have been rolled out across Search and within just one week of its existence, it’s causing mayhem for users.

The company revealed the feature as one of its most integral offerings that would truly revolutionize the search experience forever. But it seems like the tech giant spoke too soon as results are literally going off the rails.

But if that was not bad news enough, minus the huge criticism from publishers, we’re now hearing zero accountability from the company. They keep brushing off the error reports as just isolated examples and the majority of users are more than happy with how things are coming into play.

In case you may have missed it, AI Overviews function by making use of Generative AI to design summaries or replies directly to the user’s question. The whole idea here has to do with summarizing the information from several sources to provide end users with a simple and easy means of digesting what’s presented to them.

But in just a few days, the whole thing has gone wild. Passing through social media, you’ll clearly find so many examples of Search AI Overviews that keep giving wrong data. From people trying to add glue to pizza to chicken getting cooked at crazy temperatures, one can’t help but wonder what’s going on here.

It’s doing it all and even going as far as stealing material from various websites online to utilize data and there are no links to the web pages' owners either. Talk about stealing material without credit!

We agree that no launch is perfect but there’s a lot going on here that Google cannot just ignore as the world demands answers. It’s almost like every inaccurate result brought forward is being shunned by the good ones getting published online. That’s what the app is talking about.

Google just gave out an interview on this front including how the mistakes are no big deal and not a setback that threatens the feature. They do not represent the opinions that the majority have and just are very common and can be ignored. But wait, what about the outcry from the masses?

Furthermore, Google says such experiences are great because they help in the refinement of the feature and with time, things are bound to get better. Nevertheless, the company appreciates the feedback it gets on this front.

The majority of AI overviews are giving rise to top-quality data and the links enable people to go down deeper into the world of search. Most examples used against proving the feature is useless are linked to uncommon questions so the company says that only after extensive trial and error were they able to reach the point where they stand today.

Right now, they have been allocated to default settings across Search but are not present on each question rolled out. So what does this mean, no action will be taken by the Android maker despite users’ outcry to get things fixed?

No, that’s not the case. Google may not see the criticism eye to eye with others but that does not mean it’s going to sit back and do nothing. It vows to take prompt action and help fix the matter. It has already disabled some of the features of viral questions. But the majority still goes strong as most results it feels are of top quality.

And in case you were wondering, the AI reply linked to glue helping cheese stick to a pizza that triggered serious backlash has been removed as that is not appropriate!

The company even rolled out a reply on this front including how it vows to take quick action where it feels is appropriate and in line with its policies. And dangerous results will no longer have any room on the search engine. Well, thank God for that, right!

We won’t lie that seeing Google point fingers at misinformation regarding AI Overviews and some towards doctored replies is shocking as they keep brushing that off as isolated examples. Clearly, only time can tell how useful of a feature this is as skepticism keeps growing.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Here's How To Turn off AI Overviews when Searching Google
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

The Impact and Importance of Children’s Technology Use

Step into any home, visit any classroom, and you’ll observe an emerging trend: devices like computers, tablets, and even smartphones in the hands of — sometimes, surprisingly young — kids. As children’s use of technology grows, it raises key questions about the impact on their development.

Tech gets a bad rap, and for good reason — nearly 2 in 5 parents consider excessive screen time the most significant threat to their child’s health, according to a recent study conducted by Preply, the online language-learning marketplace. But it’s not all about the digital bogeyman. Technology also gives kids unprecedented opportunities to learn, imagine, and grow.

So, are we raising a generation of “iPad kids”? Or is there more to it than mindless scrolling?

Time Spent on Tech

Kids these days love their screens, and the numbers prove it. On average, children dedicate a whopping 2.7 hours to screens daily, outside of school and homework. It doesn't stop there — as kids age, screen time swells from two hours for two to five year olds to 3.6 hours for teenagers.

This hasn't gone unnoticed by parents. In fact, 82% feel their kids are clocking in too much screen time, and 86% are trying to limit it. Despite these efforts, since 2020, 68% of parents have seen an uptick in their child's screen engagement. That's an extra 1.4 hours on screens according to mom and dad, with teens leading the pack, overdoing it by around 2 hours.

Sure, we're in uncharted waters. We're finding ways to strike a balance between tapping into technology's educational potential and preventing digital overload. With the screen time surge, especially thanks to the pandemic, parenting has become this mad scramble to figure out how to weave technology into our children’s lives in a healthy, beneficial way. Bottom line, it's a work in progress.

Potential Threats of Too Much Time Online

Unlike their kiddos, parents aren’t so keen on screens. As many as 45% worry their kids might be developing a screen addiction. Couple this with the 57% of parents who think too much screen time is rough on their children's social skills and physical health. We're not just talking about sore thumbs from gaming too long — it’s more fundamental, like losing the ability to strike up a conversation or kick a ball around.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Just over half (51%) of parents firmly believe that screen overload is throwing their kids’ focus out the window, making it much harder for them to learn, let alone achieve developmental milestones.

These stats paint a picture of the evolving challenges of modern parenting. It’s no longer simply about negotiating bedtime or eating vegetables. Parents are charting new territories as they aim to cultivate a healthy relationship between their kids and screens.

• Also read: Children Lack Ethical Maturity Required To Use Social Media Responsibly, New Study Confirms

This balancing act — fostering digital literacy and agility while ensuring their kid's physical health and social skills aren't left in the dust — can be extremely exhausting, especially when it’s hard, if not next to impossible, to monitor just how much screen time your kids are clocking.

Positive Impacts of Tech

While parents may express concern over their children's tech time, we've got to be fair and give technology its due. In fact, a significant 68% of parents see the bright side, acknowledging that technology plays an important role in boosting language development. Interestingly, it's the low-income parents leading this charge, most likely to vouch for tech's impact in promoting language skills in children.

Over half (55%) of parents also notice their children's vocabulary broadening thanks to technology. Creativity also gets a boost, according to the 53% of parents who say technology helps their kids bring their imaginations to life. So while battling overuse may be tough, it's clear that technology also earns its role in catalyzing important aspects of a child's development.

Some Final Thoughts

Let's not forget that old adage: You can have too much of a good thing. And when it comes to technology, it's quite the double-edged sword. But in reality, it’s neither all good nor all bad — it’s how we harness it that counts.

For parents, it’s about making sure kids aren’t just mindlessly swiping away, but instead are using digital resources to explore, create, and learn. Because, when approached carefully, there’s no denying technology is a serious asset to the hurdles of growing up.

Read next: Six-Week Facebook Break Reduces Belief in Fake News, Lessens Political Engagement, Affects Voter Turnout
by Web Desk via Digital Information World

TikTok Adds Restrictions On State-Backed Media To Combat Covert Influence Campaigns

TikTok is making it very clear how it’s got zero room for covert influence campaigns that have grown in recent times.

The popular social media app just released a newsroom post confirming how it would be setting out new limits on accounts it feels receive support and backing from government officials outside their native nations.

The company adds a disclaimer tag to such accounts and it’s been happening since the start of 2022, which is when we saw a host of state-backed media houses taking part in such a ban including Russia and Ukraine, as well as a few from Belarusia.

While it was limited to just a few nations in the past, the newest report on this front says more nations are now getting included. But the question is, are we really surprised?

Absolutely not because it comes at a time when the world gears up for the election period and with more than 4 billion individuals from various countries getting prepared to vote, we can see how this could really be a much-needed step.

As it is, the company has close to 170 million users in the US alone and you can see how popular it is around the globe too.

During the start of this year, we’ve seen TikTok embark on a disrupting journey where it got rid of close to 15 different influence campaigns and moved nearly 3000 affiliated accounts in this respect. They were designed to impact political discourse and also add more data linked to the upcoming elections period.

The company went on disrupting a series of attempts related to elections in the country of Indonesia while targeting citizens based in the UK too. These were those who were found guilty of artificial narration regarding the current electoral period and process in the UK that was arising domestically.

A recently published statement by the app was also revealed where it said the goal right now was to make sure the community featuring 170 million Americans could discover content that’s not only real but reliable. These would have the most authentic chats on the app. Furthermore, the app’s head for US data security says TikTok is working aggressively to stop attempts at influence while making sure it is free and as far from manipulation as possible.

Media accounts linked to the state won’t be featured on the platform’s For You page because that is how the platform recommends videos to others via an articulated algorithm so if it has opted to shine such content, then so be it.

For a while now, the app has been facing serious scrutiny from different leaders who referred to it as the most controversial and insecure app. So much so that it is now facing a ban across the US. Remember, it’s got roots based in China’s capital city of Beijing as that’s where ByteDance’s headquarters happens to be.

If the company fails to sell the app to another American seller then it could soon be facing a complete ban in the nation as the latest bill signed by US President Joe Biden asks for just that.

So far, a deadline of nine months has been outlined but an additional three months could be given if need be. But from what we’re hearing, a sellout might not be on the cards for TikTok. And even if it is, it could come at a huge cost, not to mention be without the main glory which is the app’s algorithm.

The outburst of reactions and emotions has a lot of people talking for obvious reasons. It’s not popular for creators who earn a living through the app to see this take center stage in the US while calls for a reversal of the decision by the court of law were also made.

Many fear this new law is taking away a great source of their income and it’s just unconstitutional to strip them of their freedom. Moreover, a similar ban was attempted by former American President Donald Trump in 2020 but that couldn’t happen and in the end, the decision was reversed.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Reputation Matters: How Hardware Giants Outshine Social Media Platforms
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Reputation Matters: How Hardware Giants Outshine Social Media Platforms

A new report by the Harris Poll and Axios talks about which tech companies have the worst reputations around the world. Many big names in the tech world like Meta, TikTok and X were ranked the lowest in the list of companies having good reputations. According to the analysis, X (formerly known as Twitter) has the second worst reputation in the world and many people do not think of this tech company in good words. It has a reputation quotient score of 58.8. The tech company with the worst reputation and the lowest reputation quotient score is Trump Organization with 54.0 score.

Meta, a tech company founded by Mark Zuckerberg, ranked 97th in reputation. It had a quotient score of 59.6 while Spirit Airline was just above it with 59.1 reputation quotient score. TikTok was in the 95th place with 60.7 score. A social media platform, Reddit, was at 90th place with a reputation quotient score of 65.0. Comcast was at 84th place while Boeing was at 88th place.

The study found out that the companies that deal with hardware and software have far better reputation than any other social media companies. Nvidia had the best reputation and ranked first with 81.2 reputation quotient score. Sony was in fourth position with 79.8 score while Apple scored ninth position with 79.0 reputation quotient score. Samsung made it to the top ten at 10th position with 78.8 reputation quotient score.

Amazon, Google and Microsoft also had good reputations over all. They had 16th, 17th and 18th positions respectively and all had their score in 70s. Even with trust and safety concerns with tech companies like Sony and Google, these companies succeeded in ranking well with good reputation quotient scores.

Read next: PwC Report: AI-Performable Jobs Decline, Demand Rises for Jobs Requiring Advanced Skills
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World