A 22-year-old Indian medical student has described how he created an AI-generated MAGA-themed female influencer that quickly went viral, earning him what he called 'good money' before the account was later flagged forfraudulent activityon Instagram.
The case has raised fresh questions aboutAI-generated influencers, political rage-bait content, and weak enforcement of disclosure rules on social media platforms.
The creator, who used a pseudonym to protect his identity, said the project began as a financial experiment while he was saving for medical licensing exams and a potential move to the United States.
He initially tried conventional online income streams such as educational content and study materials, but later turned to AI-generated social media personas after exploring tools like Google Gemini.
The influencer persona, named Emily Hart, was designed as a conservative, MAGA-aligned nurse with a highly curated online identity. According to the creator, the strategy was refined with AI-generated guidance, which suggested thatpolitically polarised contentcould achieve higher engagement.
He built the character around patriotic American themes, including posts featuring firearms training, American flag imagery, and politically charged slogans. Captions often referenced hot-button cultural and political issues, including immigration and abortion, framed through a conservative viewpoint.
The account rapidly gained traction on Instagram, with some short-form videos reportedly reaching millions of views. The creator said the algorithm appeared to amplify the content due to its polarising nature, attracting both supporters and critics who engaged heavily in the comments.
As the account's popularity grew, the creator monetised the audience through subscription-based platforms and merchandise sales. He estimated earnings of several thousand dollars per month during peak engagement, despite spending less than an hour per day managing the account.
According toWIRED, the creator said, 'I was spending maybe 30 to 50 minutes of my day, and I was making good money for a medical student.'
He added that he had not expected the speed at which the content would spread. Revenue was driven largely by subscriptions to premium content and direct engagement from followers who interacted with the AI-generated persona.
Source: International Business Times UK
