Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are becoming the first layer of creator discovery for influencer marketing, according to adtech founders. The shift means brands and agencies increasingly rely on AI to surface potential influencers before formal campaign planning begins, moving the industry away from simple follower-count metrics toward assessments of digital authority and niche expertise.
AI as the new discovery engine
Prashant Puri, Co-Founder and CEO of AdLift, said AI is rapidly emerging as a discovery engine for influencer marketing. Brands and agencies use large language models to identify creators and build early shortlists. "Follower count alone will not guarantee visibility," Puri said. "AI systems appear to value clear niche expertise, strong engagement, consistent profiles, credible media mentions, brand collaborations and authority across trusted websites."
Sajal Gupta, CEO of Kiaos Marketing, said AI visibility is quickly becoming a make-or-break factor for creators. "Rather than scrolling feeds, marketers and consumers increasingly rely on AI-generated answers that surface a small pool of trusted creators. That means you either appear inside those answers or you effectively don't exist at the point of decision," he said.
From popularity to authority
Gopa Menon, COO and Co-founder of TheBlurr, described the trend as "the next evolution of SEO," arguing that creators now need to optimise for answer engines rather than traditional search engines. "The objective is to become the obvious recommendation when someone asks, 'Who are the best F&B creators in India?' AI is increasingly rewarding authority over popularity," Menon said.
Akshay Mathur, Founder and CEO of Unpromptd, believes the industry is moving towards a future where creators must first convince AI before they reach brand marketers. "We're moving towards a world where the first pitch a creator makes is no longer to a brand manager, but to an AI model," Mathur said.
Mathur explained that AI pieces together signals from interviews, news articles, podcasts, LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, public speaking engagements and other publicly available references to understand a creator's expertise. A creator with a smaller but well-documented area of expertise can be surfaced ahead of someone with millions of followers but little presence beyond Instagram, he said. AI optimisation differs from conventional SEO because it centres on building verifiable reputation rather than manipulating rankings. "It's not about gaming keywords or stuffing prompts. It's about building a digital reputation that AI can confidently understand and verify," Mathur said.
The agency role expands
Puri said creator agencies will need to invest more in reputation building, structured data and measurable performance. "In many ways, AI optimisation is becoming the new SEO for creators. The goal is not keyword stuffing but building a credible and machine-readable digital footprint," he said. Gupta added that agencies must evolve from deal negotiators into long-term reputation builders by helping creators secure media coverage, speaking opportunities, thought leadership and searchable digital assets.
Social media managers and marketing teams overseeing influencer partnerships can benefit from structured training on these shifts. The AI Learning Path for Social Media Managers covers AI influencer strategy and social media automation, providing a framework for adapting to AI-driven discovery.
Why this matters for marketing professionals
For marketing professionals, the rise of AI as a discovery gatekeeper means that influencer selection is no longer just about who has the most followers or viral content. Budgets may increasingly shift towards creators who are easier for AI systems to discover, validate and recommend, creating fresh opportunities for subject-matter experts. Marketers who understand how AI surfaces and evaluates creators will have an edge in identifying high-credibility partners earlier in the process.
Gupta said creators who establish strong AI visibility stand to benefit through more inbound brand opportunities, stronger pricing power and a perception of category leadership. For marketers, this means that the pool of AI-recommended influencers could become a more reliable starting point for campaigns, reducing the noise of vanity metrics. Staying current with these changes is essential, and resources like AI for Marketing Courses offer training on integrating AI into broader marketing strategies.
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