Simulated persuasion in extended realities: Virtual influencers in immersive virtual environments

Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn & Hatfield, Haley (former Grady Ph.D. student) (in press). “Simulated persuasion in extended realities: Virtual influencers in immersive virtual environments.” Journal of Interactive Advertising. Abstract: With advances in computer-generated technologies and artificial intelligence, virtual influencers (VIs) are likely to play a critical role in shaping interactive advertising within immersive environments. Building on Stern’s (1994) Revised Communication Model for Advertising and recent academic discourse on avatars, agents, and social robots, we suggest that VIs challenge the traditional source-message-audience framework by operating across corporeal, hybrid, and simulated domains. Unlike human influencers, whose agency relies on human intention, VIs involve layered authorship, programmed behaviors, and adaptive algorithms that blur the roles of creators, brands, and audiences. In immersive settings, VIs are embodied and occupy the virtual space, co-creating experiences with users that can enhance persuasion through presence, parasocial bonds, and adaptability. Yet, they also raise issues of transparency, accountability, and ethics. We situate VIs as communicative sources shaped by both human and nonhuman systems, emphasizing the need for future research into their evolving identities, agency, and societal influence within advertising ecosystems.