The term "influencer" is about as descriptive as "AI" now, it's way too big a category to really say anything useful about.

Personally I would consider independent product reviewers as "influencers", and companies being able to fake that by paying a real person via strict sponsorship terms or using AI are both a huge problem.

There’s the distinction I needed to hear. Agree.

but at least they are people? Now corporations are just doing it themselves and "influencers" are now out there on the job market like the rest of us. So I am still very much "fuck AI taking our jobs" in this scenario.