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Understanding Older Adults' Experiences of Support, Concerns, and Risks from Kinship-Role AI-Generated Influencers

Tianqi Song, Black Sun, Jingshu Li, Han Li, Chi-Lan Yang, Yijia Xu, Yi-Chieh Lee

TL;DR

This study combined social media analysis with interviews to show that influencers use both visual and conversational cues to enact kinship roles, prompting audiences to engage in kinship-based role-play and highlight the complex relationship between virtual avatars and real family ties.

Abstract

AI-generated influencers are rapidly gaining popularity on Chinese short-video platforms, often adopting kinship-based roles such as AI grandchildren to attract older adults. Although this trend has raised public concern, little is known about the design strategies behind these influencers, how older adults experience them, and the benefits and risks involved. In this study, we combined social media analysis with interviews to unpack the above questions. Our findings show that influencers use both visual and conversational cues to enact kinship roles, prompting audiences to engage in kinship-based role-play. Interviews further show that these cues arouse emotional resonance, help fulfill older adults' informational and emotional needs, while also raising concerns about emotional displacement and unequal emotional investment. We highlight the complex relationship between virtual avatars and real family ties, shaped by broader sociocultural norms, and discuss how AI might strengthen social support for older adults while mitigating risks within cultural contexts.

Understanding Older Adults' Experiences of Support, Concerns, and Risks from Kinship-Role AI-Generated Influencers

TL;DR

This study combined social media analysis with interviews to show that influencers use both visual and conversational cues to enact kinship roles, prompting audiences to engage in kinship-based role-play and highlight the complex relationship between virtual avatars and real family ties.

Abstract

AI-generated influencers are rapidly gaining popularity on Chinese short-video platforms, often adopting kinship-based roles such as AI grandchildren to attract older adults. Although this trend has raised public concern, little is known about the design strategies behind these influencers, how older adults experience them, and the benefits and risks involved. In this study, we combined social media analysis with interviews to unpack the above questions. Our findings show that influencers use both visual and conversational cues to enact kinship roles, prompting audiences to engage in kinship-based role-play. Interviews further show that these cues arouse emotional resonance, help fulfill older adults' informational and emotional needs, while also raising concerns about emotional displacement and unequal emotional investment. We highlight the complex relationship between virtual avatars and real family ties, shaped by broader sociocultural norms, and discuss how AI might strengthen social support for older adults while mitigating risks within cultural contexts.
Paper Structure (55 sections, 3 figures, 3 tables)

This paper contains 55 sections, 3 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. AI-Generated Influencers and Parasocial Interactions
  4. Human-AI Relationships Beyond Parasociality: Companionship, Care, and Emerging Kinship
  5. Aging, Older Adults HCI, and Technology Use: Socioemotional and Cultural Factors
  6. Aging Theories and the Shaping of Media and AI Engagement.
  7. AI Companionship and Older Adults’ Emotional Support Needs.
  8. Cultural Frameworks of Family, Support, and Filial Obligation.
  9. Ethical Concerns: Algorithmic Intimacy, Platformized Care, and AI Influencers in Kinship Roles
  10. Background: AI-generated Influencers Targeting Older Adults in China
  11. Methods
  12. Video Analysis
  13. Video Platform.
  14. Video Collection.
  15. Video Selection.
  16. ...and 40 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Example screenshots of AI-generated influencer videos. A: AI Grandchildren (170k+ likes, 30k+ comments, with an AI-generated content label); B: AI Brother (12k+ likes, 4k+ comments, no AI-generated content label); C: AI Son (1k+ likes, 200+ comments, no AI-generated content label); D: AI Sister (4k+ likes, 900+ comments, with an AI-generated content label).
  • Figure 2: Example screenshots illustrating different conversational strategies in AI-generated influencer videos and how users engaged with them. A: Emotional expression, where users conveyed feelings of closeness. B: Storytelling designed to elicit sympathy, where users responded by sharing their own sympathy. C: Interaction engagement prompts, where users referenced their ongoing support in platform-specific ways.
  • Figure 3: Example of an AI-generated influencer designed with an older adult’s appearance. In this case, the video advertises matchmaking services for older adults.