An Indian medical student reportedly created and ran a popular AI-generated Instagram influencer that amassed millions of followers by posting patriotic, political and lifestyle content aimed at a conservative American audience, the New York Post reported, citing Wired. The account features a blonde virtual influencer named “Emily Hart,” who is pictured wearing a bikini and MAGA hat, posing with a gun, ice fishing, drinking beer, and sharing strong-worded political statements. According to her profile, she is a registered nurse who resembles Hollywood actor Jennifer Lawrence, and the AI-generated character is part of a MAGA-themed content stream.The profile quickly gained traction, reportedly reaching 10,000 followers within a month, with several of its reels racking up millions of views.Creator “Sam,” a 22-year-old plastic surgeon trained in India, told Wired that he developed the AI character while studying medicine and sought to monetize it amid financial pressures, with plans to move to the United States after graduation.He reportedly used Google’s Gemini AI for guidance and decided to build a virtual influencer targeting a conservative American audience. According to him, the tool shows that “conservative audiences, especially older men in the U.S., tend to have higher disposable income and are more loyal,” as quoted by Wired.
Facebook/Emily Hart
The account posted politically charged content, including statements such as “Christ is King, abortion is murder, and all illegal immigrants must be deported,” among other provocative headlines. Sam also tried to create a liberal counterpart, but said it didn’t gain similar traction.He monetizes the account through merchandise sales and subscription-based platforms such as Fanvue, which allows artificial intelligence-generated content. Paid subscribers will reportedly have access to exclusive material, including AI-generated images and adult-themed content.“I spend about 30 to 50 minutes a day, and for a medical student, I make a lot of money,” he said, adding that the surgery can bring in thousands of dollars a month.He further told Wired, “I don’t feel like I’m cheating on people.”The Instagram account was reportedly deleted in February due to “fraudulent” activity. After the results of the investigation were announced, the relevant Facebook accounts were also deleted.Experts cited in the report said the role of artificial intelligence in social media is becoming increasingly realistic, raising concerns about misinformation, authenticity and its impact on the social media ecosystem and political participation.
