b'
In 2016, followers flocked to an Instagram user purporting to be Miquela Sousa, a 19-year-old Brazilian-American model, singer, and sometimes activist.
\\n\\nFor years, no one was quite sure if Miquela was made-up, or to what degree. Was she a model rendered doll-like by filters? An actress? A totally fictional character?
\\n\\nHer ambiguous humanity helped Miquela land lucrative brand partnerships with the likes of BMW and Calvin Klein. But in recent years, interest in her has been slipping. Writer Mercedes Gonzales-Bazan joins Endless Thread\\xa0to talk about Miquela\'s mysterious origin story, and what her declining relevance reveals about our current relationship with AI.
\\n\\nYou can read Mercedes Gonzales-Bazan\'s essay, Death of the Artificial Influencer, here.
\\n\\nCredits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. The host is Ben Brock Johnson.
'