The next time you buy a flashy new outfit after browsing Instagram, or tap the heart button on a particularly compelling TikTok video, you might discover that the person who posted it isn't real--and you might not care at all. That is, if virtual influencers (and their creators) get their way. A virtual influencer is a digital personality that posts on social media to build an audience of passionate fans, just like a human influencer; at least, that's how it seems. In reality, a team of humans uses computer-generated imagery (CGI), motion capture, and marketing magic to give a digital avatar a voice, a life, and a brand. The result makes virtual influencers seem like, well, real people.

Data analytics helps marketers learn about their customers with target precision, from the movies they watch on Netflix to their favorite scoop of chocolate ice cream. Data is ubiquitous, essential and beneficial -- except when it's not. Experts warn that data analytics is at an inflection point. Growing concerns about security risks, privacy, bias and regulation are bumping up against all the benefits offered by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Layer those concerns on top of worries about the coronavirus pandemic and how it has rapidly changed consumer behavior, and the challenges become clear.

Conversations with Siri have almost become a pastime as people find new ways to garner funny responses from the iPhone personal assistant. A new study indicates that time spent chilling with your phone, or other human-like gadgets like Amazon's Alexa, could actually hinder your IRL relationships. Those who are lonely typically spend time with real people as a way to feel better. However, researchers say that devices mimicking realistic personal responses are now taking the place of, well, their actual human counterparts. "Generally, when people feel socially excluded, they seek out other ways of compensating, like exaggerating their number of Facebook friends or engaging in prosocial behaviors to seek out interaction with other people," says Jenny Olson, study co-author and marketing professor at the University of Kansas, in a statement.