Gender and perception of reality in AI influencers: Digital gender in the trace of simulacra

Arzu Çelen Özer 1 * , Zeynep İlhan Taşkın 2, Başak Kalkan 1, Burçin Yersel Özkarayanık 1
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1 Eskisehir Technical University, Eskisehir, TURKEY
2 Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, TURKEY
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 16, Issue 2, Article No: e202637. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/18605
OPEN ACCESS   15 Views   9 Downloads   Published online: 26 May 2026
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ABSTRACT

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the emergence of AI-generated virtual influencers have made it necessary to examine their effects on societal dynamics, particularly in the daily lives of young people. This study focuses on the representation of gender in AI virtual influencers and their impact on perceptions of reality, aiming to identify the expectations of generation Z (Gen Z) university students in Turkey regarding AI influencers. The data obtained in the study were analyzed through logistic regression. The results of a survey conducted with 406 university students in Eskisehir revealed that members of Gen Z prefer a more inclusive understanding of AI influencers rather than a gender-based approach. The findings indicate that AI influencers are not strongly associated with traditional gender roles. This study demonstrates that the representations of AI influencers blur the boundaries between reality and simulation, resonating with Baudrillard’s (1994) concept of simulacra. Gen Z possesses an evolving perspective on gender norms and prefers a more inclusive representation within AI influencer culture.
Keywords: AI influencers, gender equality, simulacra and simulation, hyperreality, digital platforms

CITATION

Çelen Özer, A., İlhan Taşkın, Z., Kalkan, B., & Yersel Özkarayanık, B. (2026). Gender and perception of reality in AI influencers: Digital gender in the trace of simulacra. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 16(2), e202637. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/18605

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