New Delhi: From television presenters to social media users, all eyes in Pakistan are on Shabnam Xai. She’s young, she’s relatable, she’s a fitness lover—she’s Pakistan’s latest AI influencer, but the problem is she is white. Claiming to be the country’s first “ultra-realistic” influencer, Shabnam is a creation of artificial intelligence (AI) and has recently made her Instagram debut.
While Pakistani journalists try to emphasise how Shabnam is “not real”, they also cannot get enough of the AI phenomenon. Her photographs at picturesque destinations and relatable content have enamoured the media who describe her as an invigorating “blend of glamour and technology” that is “making waves” in the country.
She ticks all the boxes of a promising influencer. Her posts captivate her growing audience. She is a student of Public Administration at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)—she is a fashionable academic. She is also “a model, food enthusiast, and fitness lover.” And the best of all? She loves her coffee.
Shabnam’s competitors
Shabnam has managed to tap into the wits of social media users, with some wondering whether it was men who created this AI and others waiting for creepy men to send in ‘hello dear’ messages and comments.
However, Shabnam is a little behind her competitors. Two AI influencers, Neha and Zara, are already way ahead of Shabnam, who has a following of a little over 2,000 and has managed to get a mere handful of comments in a month.
Both Zara and Neha are characterised as students who like to travel. Zara is managed by HyperBeing, a first-of-its-kind, AI influencer agency.
Supporters of the two have stormed comments in posts about Shabnam. “The most followed and realistic Ai influencer is @heyneha.ai,” wrote a user.
Those engaging with her content may also not be fans of Shabnam. Users have expressed concerns about her Eurocentric features. “Why is she white and not Pakistani,” a user commented on Instagram. Another added, “But that’s a Western influencer. Not a Pakistani. Even in AI gora complex.”
There are a few who oppose the idea of an AI influencer altogether. “Why do we need Ai models,” wrote one. Another called it the “dumbest and most useless idea ever”.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)