AI is automating influencer casting for marketing agencies

Source: Digiday

As agencies adopt AI systems to replace human judgment in creator selection—the traditionally relationship-driven, intuition-based core of influencer marketing—they’re betting that algorithmic matching can outperform decades of industry expertise. This shift reveals a broader pattern where AI is colonizing decision-making in domains that previously required cultural fluency and trust, raising questions about whether optimized efficiency actually produces better creative outcomes or simply faster, cheaper ones. The real signal here isn’t about AI capability; it’s about how quickly marketing is willing to commodify creative partnership to reduce costs and liability.