A new investigation has found that brands are increasingly using AI-generated influencers – fake, computer-made personalities – to spruik products on social media, often in ways that look like genuine customers sharing real experiences. The findings have prompted growing calls for clearer disclosure so people know when they are looking at a real person and when they are not.
For a small or medium business in Sydney, this matters in two ways: how you market, and how you are marketed to.
On the marketing side, AI tools make it cheap and quick to create polished content and lifelike “people”. That can be tempting, but passing off AI-generated content as a real customer review or testimonial can mislead consumers – and under Australian Consumer Law, misleading or deceptive conduct can land a business in serious trouble with the ACCC. The short-term win is rarely worth the long-term hit to trust.
On the receiving side, the same technology makes scams and fake endorsements harder to spot. Staff and customers may see convincing “reviews” or ads – even fake versions of well-known brands – that simply are not real. With AI now moving into mainstream advertising (Amazon has begun running its first AI-assisted ads), this blurring of real and synthetic content is only going to grow.
Three practical takeaways:
- Be transparent. If you use AI in content, label it. Keep testimonials genuine and verifiable – real customers, real words.
- Train your team. Make sure staff can recognise AI-generated endorsements, fake reviews and impersonation scams before money or data changes hands.
- Protect your brand. Monitor for fake accounts or AI “influencers” misusing your name, and have a plan to report and respond quickly.
AI can be a genuine productivity boost when used honestly. The businesses that win will be the ones customers can still trust.
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