Believer it or not: This ‘perfect’ Instagram influencer isn’t real — Yet people are paying her ₹1 lakh a month

The account is part of a growing ecosystem of AI-generated influencers — virtual personalities created using artificial intelligence tools capable of producing hyper-realistic images and videos. These digital figures are designed to mimic human behaviour, expressions and lifestyles, often making it difficult for viewers to identify them as artificial.

While virtual influencers are not entirely new — they have existed since the mid-2010s — rapid advancements in generative AI have significantly accelerated their presence. Today, thousands of such accounts operate across platforms like Instagram, with some amassing large followings and steady income streams.

In this case, the profile has reportedly been earning over ₹1 lakh per month, highlighting the commercial potential of AI-driven personas in the creator economy.

An Instagram account operating under the name “Vrutika Patel” has caught the internet’s attention — not for what it shows, but for what it represents. At first glance, the profile appears indistinguishable from countless lifestyle influencers populating social media feeds today.

The account features carefully curated visuals: a woman dressed in a blue kurta posing against bougainvillea, sipping tea in aesthetic settings, enjoying a beach outing in Diu, and dining at cafes. The imagery aligns with familiar influencer tropes — aspirational yet relatable, polished yet casual.

However, users recently pointed out that the person in these images is not real.

The rise of AI-generated influencers

Monetisation without a real identity

The emergence of such accounts raises questions about how audiences engage with content and what drives monetisation in the digital space. Despite the absence of a real individual, these profiles are able to attract followers, brand interest and paid subscriptions.

This suggests that for many users, the appeal may lie less in authenticity and more in visual storytelling, consistency and perceived relatability — even if artificially generated.

The revelation has triggered a strong response online, with opinions sharply divided.

Internet Reacts

Some users criticised those engaging with or paying for such content. One comment read, “We as a nation are doomed. People will not pay ₹390 for something useful but will spend on this. I pity these 309 low life jerks.”

“They wont even know that she isnt real ! Its getting out of hand, they are very attractive and its very tough to even find that she isnt real,” another user wrote.

“That is the world. People find opportunities to just earn before the ai gets costly. And humans are designed that way. Unemployed had nothing just to subscribe and enjoy. So, maybe it's wrong but as long as customers exist the market is justified. You can't do anything about it. Shit as hell. I hope such profiles never pop up in my account. Anything suspicious of AI is getting banned by me,” the third wrote.

Others, however, pushed back against the criticism, arguing that paying for fictional or digital experiences is not unusual. “You’ve never paid to watch a fiction movie? An animated film? Is that real? Never paid for a book? Saw Harry Potter? Is that real?” a user wrote, questioning the logic behind the outrage.

Another comment took a more critical view of audience behaviour, stating, “Look at those simps who can't control their desires. It's ok if it's real female but AI is too much.”