Disclosures and literacy as determinants of AI-influencer recognition and well-being

AI-generated influencers—social media personalities created entirely by generative AI—are growing in popularity and becoming harder to distinguish from real people. Since exposure to idealized images has been linked to negative effects on well-being, it is crucial to investigate how social media users can be supported in recognizing AI-generated influencers. Drawing from the Persuasion Knowledge Model, we investigate disclosing the origin of AI-generated influencers and enhancing individuals’ literacy on the topic as two key strategies of increasing recognition. Findings from a 2 (presence versus absence of an AI disclosure) x 2 (presence versus absence of a literacy intervention about AI-generated influencers) between-subjects experiment with emerging adults showed that both disclosures and literacy interventions effectively increase recognition of AI-generated influencers. However, while recognizing AI-generated influencers did not prevent detrimental comparison processes and subsequent negative associations with well-being, subjective knowledge following the literacy intervention was positively linked with well-being. • It is increasingly hard to recognize AI-generated social media influencers as such. • AI disclosures and literacy interventions are suitable tools to boost recognition. • Recognition alone fails to prevent social comparison or its harm to well-being. • Strengthening AI literacy can support self-esteem and well-being.