India, Dec. 19 -- Last week, The New York Times reported that the increased use of AI-generated influencers in the global tourism industry has got the human content creators worried about being replaced in this lucrative sector known for generous freebies. The article said tourism brands are embracing AI avatars to cut costs, control the message and speed-up content generation. Among popular AI avatars, it cited the example of Qatar Airways' AI flight attendant Sama who has 328,000 followers and represents the airline on its website and social media. AI avatars are digital personalities that act like human influencers on social media sharing content, promoting products, and building followers. In India, too, the era of AI avatars is dawning though experts in the business here said they will not replace creators at scale. "AI influencers will carve out specific niches but there is just too much cultural value placed on authenticity and personal connection here for them to replace human influencers. They will complement them," said Siddharth Kelkar, managing director for India/MENA at the AnyMind Group. Globally, tourism has adopted AI influencers because destinations, airlines, and hotels need always-on, multilingual storytelling and visual consistency, often across markets and time zones, Kelkar noted. India has potential in travel, real estate, electronics, and large-scale retail, where the goal is guided discovery, product education, or service walkthroughs, he said. "AI influencers can help standardize messaging, reduce long-term content costs, and support regional language expansion," added Kelkar. Adoption of AI influencers will be measured and cautious in India, said Avtr Meta Labs' CEO Abhishek Razdan. "Brands here typically wait for formats to prove their credibility before scaling. However, we're already seeing faster adoption in entertainment-led formats, especially micro-dramas, short-form storytelling and youth content, where AI characters feel native rather than promotional." Razdan's firm created Naina Avtr, positioned as India's first AI superstar and an early AI influencer personality. "Through Naina, we've delivered brand campaigns, micro-drama series, collaborations with Bollywood talent, and large-scale government-led awareness initiatives," he said. He believes AI influencers will scale first where they are embedded in stories or shows and not just as brand endorsers. Digital ad agency Pulp Strategy has no influencer marketing division but the company is building owned AI characters that act as brand storytellers, guides, or demo agents across platforms. "These are not static avatars. They are powered by content engines that can adapt scripts, languages, formats, and responses based on audience signals," said Ambika Sharma, founder, Pulp Strategy. Agent-led systems also automate repetitive creator workflows such as content ideation and localization. "The value is scale, speed, consistency, and zero brand-risk, while strategy and narrative control stays human-led," she said. Globally, virtual character Lil Miquela remains the most cited example in fashion and lifestyle. In Asia, brands like Samsung, Alibaba, and some K-beauty labels have tested AI brand ambassadors, Sharma said, adding that it's early days for AI avatars in India but beauty, fashion and fintech explainers seem natural fits. Kelkar also sees a greater role for AI avatars in live commerce. In several southeast Asian markets AI avatars work effectively as live shopping hosts or co-hosts, handling structured tasks like product walkthroughs, price drops, FAQs, and multilingual interactions, while human creators focus on storytelling and audience connection, he said. For India, the hybrid model can lower the hosting costs and help scale live commerce without creator fatigue. A June report on the influencer business in India by Kantar and WPP Media's The Goat Agency estimated that the influencer marketing industry was at Rs.3,600 crore in 2024 with a projected 25% growth in 2025. When Avtr Meta Labs first launched Naina Avtr, it was seen more as an experiment by brands and audiences, Razdan said. "The landscape has now changed with a general acceptance that virtual humans can host shows, front advertising campaigns and collaborate with established celebrities. depending on the company's objective. They are a powerful, new creative layer," he added....