Meta-influencers and algorithmic authority: epistemic and ontological implications of virtual influence in the digital society

This theoretical article investigates the epistemic and ontological implications of the emergence of meta-influencers—virtual influencers generated by Artifi-cial Intelligence—as hybrid agents of social mediation and persuasive com-munication. The analysis articulates three central dimensions: (i) the redefini-tion of epistemic authority in the face of the rise of non-human entities with anthropomorphized appearance and behavior; (ii) the ontological dilemmas arising from the coexistence of human and synthetic agents in the construc-tion of narratives of influence and authenticity; and (iii) the normative and ethi-cal challenges related to transparency, responsibility, and risk management in the adoption of virtual influencers as strategic communication instruments. Grounded in the literature on virtual influencers, algorithmic anthropomor-phization, social influence, and the sociology of technology, the article propos-es an integrated theory of algorithmic influence, as well as a conceptual model of ethical governance for the operation of virtual influencers. As a result, it of-fers guidelines for the development of public policies, organizational practices, and regulations appropriate to the new configuration of digital influence.