Artificial intelligence in influencer marketing: Current researchscape, trends and insights from a bibliometric review

Research background: Recent years have introduced a tremendous growth in the application of artificial intelligence (AI). Many organizations use this technological development to enhance operations and facilitate daily tasks. Influencer marketing is a field where the use of AI becomes inevitable.

Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of research on AI in influencer marketing and provide the core guidelines for further exploration of this field.

Research background: Recent years have introduced a tremendous growth in the application of artificial intelligence (AI). Many organizations use this technological development to enhance operations and facilitate daily tasks. Influencer marketing is a field where the use of AI becomes inevitable.

Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of research on AI in influencer marketing and provide the core guidelines for further exploration of this field.

Methods: Bibliometric analysis of scientific literature is performed based on an article selection procedure encompassing steps indicated in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. The Scopus database was chosen, as it has the relatively widest coverage of the Social Sciences. The search using keywords “artificial intelligence” or “AI” and “influencer marketing” found 79 documents.

Findings & value added: The field is rapidly evolving and attracting new researchers. The emerging field of interest has attracted researchers from 28 countries so far, indicating that the domain is still underexplored and requires contributions from scholars. The analysis revealed the need for the clarification of terminology. The terms ‘AI influencer’, ‘AI-generated influencer’, ‘digital influencer’, and ‘virtual influencer’ were used to describe the same phenomenon. Emerging research trends were determined: AI influencer feature determination and analysis; consumer behavioral reactions towards the AI influencers; platforms, media, and networks used by AI influencers; marketing strategies to be used by AI influencers; and suitability and appropriateness of research methods in AI influencer marketing. The main contribution and value-added lie in the determination of underexplored scopes and implications for researchers. The identified research trends would also serve as a checklist for managers choosing to apply an AI influencer in their marketing strategies: the choice of the most suitable platform and determination of the appropriate features of the influencer would set the background for strategy selection and lead to the desired consumer reactions.