Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing a major change in the influencer marketing industry. According to a Storyboard18 report, experts say that AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are increasingly being used by brands and agencies to find and shortlist influencers before launching marketing campaigns.

Earlier, brands mainly selected influencers based on their follower count and social media reach. However, the focus is now moving towards factors like creator expertise, audience trust, content quality and overall online reputation.

Industry experts believe AI is becoming the first step in influencer discovery. Before a brand team contacts a creator, AI tools can help identify creators who are considered relevant and trustworthy in a particular category.

Influencers will now need to build a strong digital presence beyond platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Mentions in news articles, websites, podcasts, LinkedIn profiles, interviews and brand collaborations can help AI systems understand a creator’s expertise and credibility.