“virtual influencers” stealing business from humans

Social Media Influencers seem to be some of the biggest Grifters of the modern world.
Finally they may have met their match.

Why hire a human who will say anything to make a buck [Charles BridgTec] when you can create a AI Human who;
Never misses a deadline, Doesn’t go on strike or go Rogue, Get Greedier. etc.?

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You won’t see fashion models on billboards either… at least not real people.

Quote from a goggle search…
“Gucci announced such a trial in 2020, followed by Louis Vuitton in 2021, and Walmart, H&M, and Hugo Boss last year. And in March, Levi’s used AI-generated models created by a start-up called LaLaLand to advertise products.”

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No disassembly, no measurements, no influence on me.

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Who cares?

“Influencer” isn’t a real job. I have never bought a product that some vapid wannabe celeb was paid to hawk in the hope that I’ll buy one just because they did.

I am influenced by product reviewers, but that’s a whole other thing and they can’t be replaced with an AI model. I may not buy a light because -insert favourite reviewer here- bought one, but I might on the grounds that they bought one, demonstrated it, let me know its strengths and weaknesses and helped me make an informed decision.

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You literally just defined influencer lol

Reviewers are influencers. I don’t even need to explain why that is, you already did it for me lol

I know what you’re saying but I did qualify my statement. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Take the Acebeam E70, Luxwad bought one and did a really good review. I then didn’t buy it because his review highlighted some things that put me off, mainly the size and the UI. That’s the difference between a reviewer and an influencer in the accepted sense of the term.

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Interesting… So would you say he influenced your decision to not buy the E70? :laughing:

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Yes, OK. :joy:

I think I can see the difference @Chris100575, in my mind it depends on impartiality.

The worst kind of “influencer” is someone who is just pushing crap because they’re paid to do it.

Technical reviews are generally objective. I like reviews that state any conflicts of interest.

On topic, I can’t see how technical reviews are going to be AI’d.

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Wurkkos TS10 Flashlight Review

As a flashlight enthusiast and reviewer, I’ve had the pleasure of testing the Wurkkos TS10, a compact and powerful EDC flashlight that has garnered attention for its impressive features and performance. Here’s a detailed, technical review of the Wurkkos TS10:

Design and Build Quality: The Wurkkos TS10 is a small form factor flashlight, measuring just 71.5 mm in length and 21 mm in head diameter. It’s almost small enough to be considered a keychain light, but it’s packed with features that make it a standout in the EDC category. The flashlight’s body is round, with a smooth anodized finish that can be a bit slick to hold. However, the included pocket clip also acts as an anti-roll feature and provides a space for attaching a lanyard.

Emitters and Optics: The TS10 is equipped with three 90 CRI CSP LEDs, which are known for their high color rendering index, ensuring that colors appear natural and vivid in the beam. The available tints for the LEDs range from 3000K to 6000K, providing options for those who prefer warmer or cooler light temperatures. The flashlight uses triple TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optics, which help to produce a well-defined and even beam pattern.

Driver and User Interface: At the heart of the TS10 is an ATtiny1616 microcontroller running the Anduril 2 firmware. This user interface is highly regarded in the flashlight community for its customizability and range of features, including ramping brightness control and various special modes. The driver allows for a wide range of outputs, from a moonlight mode for discreet use to a turbo mode that can reach up to 1400 lumens.

Battery and Charging: The TS10 is powered by a single 14500 Li-Ion battery, with an operating voltage range of 3.0V to 4.2V. While there is no onboard charging, the flashlight’s efficient driver and high-capacity battery option ensure prolonged use between charges.

Performance: In terms of performance, the TS10 does not disappoint. It delivers a maximum output of 1400 lumens, with a beam intensity of 4150 cd. The beam throw is claimed to be 129 meters, although real-world usage may vary. The high CRI of the emitters ensures that the light quality is top-notch, with accurate color representation.

Final Thoughts: The Wurkkos TS10 is a remarkable little flashlight that offers a lot for its size. Its build quality, high CRI emitters, and advanced UI make it a versatile tool for various lighting needs. Whether you’re a flashlight collector or someone who appreciates a reliable EDC light, the TS10 is definitely worth considering. Its combination of size, power, and features make it a valuable addition to any collection or pocket carry.

In conclusion, the Wurkkos TS10 is a flashlight that punches well above its weight class. It’s a testament to how far EDC flashlights have come, offering high-end features in a small, affordable package. For those in the market for a new EDC light, the TS10 should be at the top of your list.

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Not bad eh? Chat GPT-4 did that in less than 2 seconds

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Scary!

We obviously disagree on technical reviews.

You’ve generated a very nice summary of the claimed specs and marketing gumpf. I’m not trying to be rude, but it’s clear there is a lot lacking to the ream of text that GPT-4 has generated, it’s not a review.

I’d be looking for:
What are the actual CCTs available, given it doesn’t tint ramp(i don’t think?)
What are the actual dimensions vs stated?
What is the measured output rather than manufacturer’s ~lies~ claims?
What sized cells fit?
Where are the runtime graphs?
How does low voltage protection behave?

Bonus questions: How efficient is the driver?
How easy to mod?
Any Lego-ability?

Moderately related old man rant (though I’m in my 30’s :joy:) : I don’t disagree that C-GPT4 can generate “impressive” responses- What annoys me is that, in the West at least, we have reached a point whereby snazzy marketing of crap product beats a good product because people can’t think for themselves and rely on nonsense paragraphs of text which really say very little or attractive young people saying a widget is really good and you should also have one…

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The Chat GPT-4 text is impressive, but I prefer YouTube reviews so that I can see the UI in action and how the light performs outside. For example, one feature I consider almost essential is direct access to moonlight mode, and then the ability to step up to low directly from it. This is not something you see in a lot of written reviews, but can be gleaned by watching a well-done video.

The other consideration is that I recently posted a comment on one of Darren Yeo’s review videos asking if a light he reviewed could do the above and he checked for me and replied that it could. You won’t get that kind of help from AI.

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I just use The Jedi Mind Trick to influence people.

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Okay, but that review took 2 seconds off one sentence of input and it’s already better than a lot of actual TS10 reviews out there. And it’s just a chatbot, it’s not even an AI specifically designed for writing product reviews, which do exist, by the way. Also, do you know how easy I could get it to write a new review to cover most of those points? Would take another 2 seconds.

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I’m not surprised. Sooner the AI will be able to design flashlights better than humans, not only review them better.

Tell that to the people who clear over a million USD in a year doing it. Yes. They are social media influencers who have a channel reviewing products and maybe supplying supplemental social commentary and content, and they’ve garnered millions of subscribers. When people watch their videos there’s ad revenue generated. You would not believe how much. It’s kind of sickening, when you think about it.

But the people who really capitalize on doing this, turn it into a business with staff, equipment, and even a recording space. They can afford to do that. YouTube periodically throws wrenches in the mix, though. I saw one political influencer make a video complaining about how YouTube stream positioning algorithm changes slashed his views nearly in half. That’s a lot of money. If I was one of these people, I’d definitely not look at it as some sort of perpetual job for the rest of my life. There will be a breaking point, either due to content exhaustion or lack of viability to continue on a dependent platform (due to changes, high fees, troll attacks, and other issues).

In the end… what all of this tells me is that societies in the industrialized nations are in decline. Seriously. What people find important enough to waste time and money on… is astounding. Especially getting caught up in gossip. There’s just so many eyeballs out there easily drawn to others like social media influencers who will give them time at will, and even in some cases try to latch on by being a co-promoter. A “fan account.”

I find it sad, especially when you consider how society was before the advent of monetized social media. While there is definitely some great content out there, some even going so far as to rival commercialized productions, they’re an extreme minority. There’s so much junk out there. And then think of the server power being soaked up from the grid… which is mostly fossil fuel powered. SO MUCH WASTE… it’s maddening.

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To my knowledge they haven’t worked out the circuits yet but there’s plenty of visual designs…

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fi-asked-ai-to-make-me-some-pictures-based-on-flahslights-v0-km5jera5jyoa1.png%3Fwidth%3D1024%26format%3Dpng%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dd38b91cef2c6cd5731daae2e37f4c4e5ef5e0ace

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Pity the influencer. I suppose.

Seems the modern influencer phenomenon is a hybrid of…

  • spokesperson
  • public relations
  • trade/enthusiast press

… with the modern novelty being that they are presented directly to the retail consumer.

The trouble for the brands that hire influencers - and not always transparently to the market - is that influencers are always looking to sustain their own audience, cultivate their own brand, find that next gig. And boy howdy do they occasionally utter some hot takes that the … sponsoring … brand wishes they wouldn’t.

Virtual influencers are apt to focus on the first two roles - spokesperson with a touch of public relations - with less of the … off message … content freelance humans are prone to. They will likely remain the general property of ad agencies who farm them out to brands - replete with the same divergent brand/influencer interests, but at the very least they’re probably not going to get onto social media and say or do something that one of their ‘sponsors’ will regret. Or perhaps brands will develop their own in-house virtual influencers operating as more fleshed-our versions of mascots or as fully captive spokespersons.

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