The Rise of Synthetic Media & Digital Creators

His point is that Brud can create digital characters who are infinitely more scalable and globally appealing. A digital celebrity could theoretically produce unlimited content for unlimited languages and cultures: she could produce a dozen Instagram photos, release a feature-length film, and give six interviews—all in a single day.

For synthetic media to reach millions of views—as the Swift images did in just hours—they need massive, aggregated networks, which allow them to identify an initial audience and then spread. As the amount of available content grows with the broader use of generative AI, social media’s role as curator will become even more important.