AI Influencers Disrupt Vietnam's E-Commerce Market
Emerging as a Human Alternative with Superior Cost and Control
Recently in Vietnam's e-commerce market, AI-generated virtual models have begun to drive real sales, reshaping distribution and marketing structures. As demand from sellers surges to minimize model casting costs and shooting-related risks, virtual models are emerging as a practical option.
According to VNExpress and other outlets on the 4th (local time), it recently became known that Duong Thuy Linh, a popular fashion model who is active on social media (SNS) and has attracted tens of thousands of followers, is not a real person but an AI virtual character, sparking widespread attention in the country.
This virtual model was created by combining generative AI with video generation tools by Quang Dong (23), who lives in Hanoi. Running a clothing store, he had been burdened by model casting costs and uncertain promotional effects, but within just one month of introducing the AI model, he recorded sales of 300 million dong (about 16 million won). Content production time was also reduced from several hours to 5-10 minutes, enabling him to produce up to 20 videos per day.
Eliminating human variables... maximizing cost-effectiveness
Marketing expert Nguyen Thanh Nam (31) in Ho Chi Minh City is generating advertising revenue by training an AI model not just as a simple image but as a "review writer." He said, "The key is to breathe a soul into it by adjusting even subtle facial expressions and mouth movements," adding that he earns 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 dong (about 50,000 to 270,000 won) per ad production.
Industry insiders cite complete control over content as the greatest strength of AI influencers. From a corporate perspective, they offer higher cost-effectiveness because they eliminate variables associated with human influencers, such as shooting schedules, physical condition, and privacy-related controversies. In fact, AI virtual models are rapidly expanding into the advertising sector in global markets as well.
Growing ecosystem, remaining challenges
Amid this trend, coaching services and agencies that teach how to create AI virtual models have appeared in Vietnam. An AI instructor in Hanoi said, "Operators of online shopping malls in their 20s to 40s are flocking to this to cut costs."
However, concerns remain. Among consumers, there is growing wariness about misleading "bait-and-switch" ads that differ from the actual product, and ethical and copyright issues are still unresolved. Experts point out that institutional measures are needed to clearly indicate when content is AI-generated.
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