A short media-literacy resource examining the emergence of AI-generated political influencers in Germany. It explains how virtual influencers can appear like real people, sometimes without clear AI labelling, and explores their use in political communication, including the example of the AI-generated influencer “Larissa Wagt” during the context of the 2025 German federal election.
Why it matters for ENACT-AI
The resource directly addresses AI literacy, media literacy and the relationship between AI, political communication and power. It helps young people understand how synthetic personas can influence political opinions, recognise misleading or insufficient AI disclosure, question the credibility of social-media accounts, and critically evaluate political content generated or amplified using AI.
Learning outcomes
Learners can explain what AI-generated and virtual influencers are, identify indicators that an online persona may be artificially generated, critically assess political content on social media, understand how AI can be used for political communication and persuasion, recognise the importance of transparency and AI labelling, and reflect on how synthetic media can influence democratic discourse.
Suggested activity
Show learners selected examples of virtual influencer profiles and ask them to determine whether they believe the profiles represent real people, AI-generated personas or fictional characters. Learners then analyse the profile, images, biography, verification badge, captions and comments to identify signals of authenticity and manipulation. In groups, they discuss how AI influencers could affect elections and political opinion and create a “5 questions before you trust an influencer” checklist.