<h1 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">How Virtual Beings Make Real Money- Fake people, real profits</h1>When Lil Miquela, a Brazilian-American virtual influencer created by LA-based startup Brud, first appeared on Instagram in 2016, many dismissed her as a gimmick.Fast forward to 2025: she has more than 3 million followers, has modeled for Prada and Calvin Klein, and earns millions annually from brand collaborations.What began as an experiment in marketing has turned into a new category of economic actor: the digital human. Today, virtual influencers, AI call center staff, and metaverse avatars are generating revenue streams and being treated as valuable corporate assets.<h2 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Revenue models of digital humans</h2>1. Influencer modelsVirtual influencers like Lil Miquela, Shudu, and Imma offer brands something human influencers cannot:<ul style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- No scandals</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- 24/7 availability</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Fully customizable image and persona</li></ul>For brands, this means lower risk and higher ROI.<ul style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Lil Miquela: </li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Debuted in 2016, acquired by Dapper Labs in 2022. Appeared in global campaigns for Prada, Calvin Klein, Chanel; released a music single; earns several million dollars annually.</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><img src="https://letspl.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/images_temp/1/preview-1755394407171.png" width="90%" draggable="true" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;">Shudu: </li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Created in 2017 by British photographer Cameron-James Wilson, dubbed the “world’s first digital supermodel.” Featured in Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty campaign and luxury fashion editorials. Sparked debate about cultural appropriation since she was created by a white male artist as a Black woman avatar.</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><img src="https://letspl.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/images_temp/1/preview-1755394415957.png" width="90%" draggable="true" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;">Imma: </li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Developed in Japan by Aww Inc. in 2018, now with ~400K Instagram followers. Known for pink bob hair and Tokyo street style. Worked with IKEA, Porsche, Valentino; appears as a hologram at events.</li></ul><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;"></h3><img src="https://letspl.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/images_temp/1/preview-1755394424883.png" width="90%" draggable="true" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;"><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">2. AI employees</h3>Corporations are replacing human roles with digital staff. Samsung’s NEON project imagined AI “employees,” while Japanese banks have deployed digital human tellers. Instead of hiring call center staff, companies can deploy AI avatars that work 24/7, maintain consistent customer experience, and reduce overhead costs.<h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">3. Avatars and creators</h3>In entertainment, avatars are becoming stars. Korean cyber-singer Eternity and Japanese VTuber Kizuna AI earn money through fan merchandise and livestream donations, rivaling human celebrities. Avatars allow creators to monetize content without being physically present expanding the creator economy into new territory.<h2 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Where the money flows</h2><ul style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Advertising &amp; Branding → influencer campaigns</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Customer Service Automation → AI staff replacing call centers and tellers</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Content Creation → VTubers, virtual idols, AI performers</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Metaverse Assets → avatar skins, virtual goods</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Subscription Relationships → fans paying to interact with digital companions (e.g., Replika, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Character.AI" style="text-decoration: underline;">Character.AI</a>)</li></ul>In short, digital humans are moving into four pillars of the human economy: advertising, labor, creation, and relationships.<h2 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Why companies love digital humans</h2><ul style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Cost savings: no salaries, benefits, or vacation leave</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Risk control: no scandals, unions, or personal issues</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Scalability: one avatar can talk to thousands at once</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Brand control: companies fully shape the persona and narrative</li></ul>To executives, digital humans are predictable, controllable, and endlessly reusable assets.<h2 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">The unresolved challenges</h2>Yet, serious questions remain:<ul style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Authenticity: Do consumers really trust a product endorsed by a virtual influencer?</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Ethics: Will AI staff accelerate job loss?</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Legal rights: Who owns the profits generated by a digital human?</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">- Emotional risk: Over-attachment to virtual companions could fuel new forms of social issues.</li></ul>The economics of digital humans are powerful, but their ethics and legal frameworks remain unfinished.<h2 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Conclusion: When “virtual” becomes “real”</h2>What began as a “fun experiment” is now a corporate strategy. Within the next decade, we may find ourselves saying:<ul style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">“The influencer I followed was never human.”</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">“The bank employee I spoke to was an AI.”</li><li style="list-style: inside none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">“My favorite singer doesn’t exist in real life.”</li></ul>These aren’t futuristic hypotheticals—they’re already becoming mainstream economic activity.Digital humans are no longer science fiction. They’re a new workforce, a new celebrity class, and a new layer of the global economy.

The Economics of Digital Human

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