Dijital Reklamcılıkta Simülasyonun İzdüşümü: Üretken Yapay Zeka Etkileyicilerinin Simülakr Olarak İnşası

Abstract

Baudrillard, simülasyon kuramı çerçevesinde gerçeklik algısının nasıl dönüşüme uğradığını ve bu sürecin reklamcılığa etkilerini ele almaktadır. Ona göre medya ve tüketim kültürü, gerçeklikle bağı kopmuş simülakrlar üreterek hipergerçeklik yaratmaktadır. Dijital reklamcılık, bu hipergerçek imgeleri tüketicileri yönlendirmek amacıyla kullanmaktadır. İçerik üretme aracı olarak makine öğrenmesine dayalı üretken yapay zeka, bu imgelerin oluşturulmasını sağlayan bir yapay zeka türüdür ve kendi kendine öğrenen sistemler sayesinde insan benzeri içerikler oluşturma imkanı sunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, üretken yapay zeka etkileyicileri, insan etkileyicilere benzer biçimde kurgulanan ve kullanıcılarla etkileşime geçen sanal varlıklar olarak ortaya çıkmakta; ancak Baudrillard’ın hipergerçeklik kavramı çerçevesinde, gerçek bir referansa dayanmadan yalnızca kendi temsilini üreten simülakr figürler olarak konumlanmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, çalışmanın amacı Baudrillard’ın teorisini kullanarak üretken yapay zeka etkileyicilerinin simülakr olarak nasıl işlediğini, bu simülakrların dijital reklamcılığı nasıl şekillendirdiğini incelemektir. Araştırmada, göstergebilimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak Seren Ay ve Aitana Lopez adlı üretken yapay zeka etkileyicilerinin Instagram hesaplarındaki reklam içerikli paylaşımları incelenmiştir. Amaçlı örneklem tekniğiyle seçilen iki üretken yapay zeka etkileyicisi, dijital reklamcılığın farklı dinamiklerini temsil etmektedir. Gönderiler, Roland Barthes’ın düzanlam ve yananlam modeli temel alınarak çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, üretken yapay zeka etkileyicilerinin simülakr figürler olarak hipergerçekçi bir anlatı inşa ettiğini, reklamcılık bağlamında tüketicilere idealize edilmiş yaşam tarzları ve özgünlük sunduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Reklam stratejileri, yapay zeka figürlerinin gerçek insan etkileyiciler gibi konumlandırıldığını ve onların sosyal etkileşimlerini simüle ettiğini göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, üretken yapay zekanın reklamcılıkta nasıl bir simülakr olarak işlev gördüğünü ve tüketici algısını nasıl yönlendirdiğini tartışarak dijital reklam çalışmalarına teorik bir katkı sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Simülasyon
• Simülakr
• Reklam
• Üretken Yapay Zeka
• Etkileyici

The Projection of Simulation in Digital Advertising: The Construction of Generative AI Influencers as Simulacra

Abstract

Baudrillard discusses how the perception of reality is transformed within the framework of simulation theory and the effects of this process on advertising. According to him, media and consumer culture create hyperreality by producing simulacra that are disconnected from reality. Digital advertising uses these hyperreal images to influence consumers. Generative artificial intelligence, based on machine learning, is a type of AI that enables the creation of these images and allows for the production of human-like content through self-learning systems. In this context, generative AI influencers emerge as virtual beings constructed similarly to human influencers and interact with users; however, within the framework of Baudrillard's concept of hyperreality, they are positioned as simulacra figures that produce their own representation without relying on a real reference. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to use Baudrillard's theory to examine how generative AI influencers function as simulacra and how these simulacra shape digital advertising. In the study, the advertising posts of generative AI influencers named Seren Ay and Aitana Lopez on their Instagram accounts were analyzed using semiotic analysis. The two generative AI influencers, selected through purposive sampling, represent different dynamics of digital advertising. The posts were analyzed based on Roland Barthes' model of denotation and connotation. The findings reveal that generative AI influencers construct a hyperrealistic narrative as simulacra figures, offering idealized lifestyles and authenticity to consumers in the context of advertising. Advertising strategies position AI figures as real human influencers and simulate their social interactions. This study aims to make a theoretical contribution to digital advertising studies by discussing how generative AI functions as a simulacrum in advertising and how it influences consumer perception.

Keywords

• Simulation
• Simulacrum
• Advertising
• Generative Artificial Intelligence
• Influencer

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