AI slop, rage bait and the collapse of easy influence

New Delhi: The role of creators and influencers is undergoing a decisive reset, with audiences demanding depth, trust and emotional value over volume, according to a new global report on social behaviour and content trends by Ogilvy.

The study positions social creators as the most powerful brand-building force today, outperforming television, print and public relations, while also warning that the era of frictionless scrolling and algorithm-led growth is losing relevance fast.

The report noted that while social platforms remain central to culture, creators are being forced to rethink how and why people engage with content. 

Audiences, particularly younger users, are actively rejecting content overload, rage-bait formats and synthetic feeds filled with AI-generated material. Instead, they are curating smaller circles, logging off selectively and gravitating towards creators who offer intentional, meaningful and human-led storytelling.

At the centre of this shift is a recalibration of influence itself. Creators are no longer being rewarded for constant posting or chasing viral trends. Influence is increasingly defined by resonance, trust and emotional credibility rather than reach alone. 

The report highlighted that audiences are not abandoning social platforms, but are searching for stronger reasons to stay, placing creators under pressure to earn attention rather than capture it.

One of the most visible changes impacting creators is what the report terms “intention seeking.” Users are becoming more deliberate about how they consume content, with significant numbers turning off notifications, deleting apps and actively filtering what appears in their feeds. Viral movements calling for a return to earlier, more thoughtful meme formats underline a broader fatigue with what the report describes as “brain-rot” humour and algorithm-fuelled excess.

For creators, this marks a clear pivot point. Content that exists only to fill feeds is losing value. Instead, creators who design formats with utility, emotional relevance or entertainment depth are seeing stronger engagement. Saves, shares, watch time and group-chat sharing are replacing likes and views as the metrics that matter most.

The report suggested that creators who build repeatable formats, episodic storytelling and narrative continuity are best placed to thrive. Social content is increasingly behaving like entertainment programming, where audiences return intentionally rather than stumble across posts passively.

Another defining shift highlighted in the report is the rise of “internet intimacy.” Audiences are trading mass broadcasting for belonging, choosing niche communities built around shared interests, fandoms, humour and lived experiences. A majority of Gen Z respondents identify as fans first and prefer being defined by their interests rather than demographics.

This change has major implications for influencers. Large, polished influencer personas are giving way to creators who feel familiar, warm and embedded within specific communities. The rise of “auntie” and “uncle” creators, niche fandom leaders and interest-driven micro-creators reflects a preference for voices that feel closer to chosen family than distant celebrity.

Creators are also becoming organisers of connection, extending influence beyond the screen. Watch parties, fan meet-ups, hobby-led gatherings and small offline communities are becoming an extension of creator-led content ecosystems. Social platforms, the report notes, are no longer the end destination, but tools that enable discovery and coordination.

As AI floods feeds with flawless, machine-generated content, the report identified a growing appetite for visible effort, texture and imperfection. For creators, this means that authenticity is no longer about aesthetics alone, but about proof of process.

Audiences are responding strongly to behind-the-scenes content, slow learning arcs, sensory experiences and work that shows time, labour and human presence. From analogue photography and vinyl culture to craft-based hobbies and endurance sports, creators who document effort rather than outcomes are building deeper trust.

The report noted that most people struggle to distinguish between AI-generated and human-made creative output, which has only intensified the value of content that feels physically grounded. As a result, creators who foreground hands-on work, flawed visuals and real-world experience are emerging as credibility anchors in an increasingly synthetic environment.

Perhaps the most significant transformation for influencers lies in what the report calls the “human algorithm.” As audiences grow wary of automated feeds and AI-driven recommendations, they are turning to creators as trusted filters for taste, context and judgement.

Curators, editors, podcasters and subject-matter creators are becoming central discovery engines, often outperforming traditional search and platform algorithms. The report noted that credibility today is built through earned presence in trusted spaces such as community forums, expert content, podcasts and closed social channels.

For creators, this elevates authority over popularity. Influence now depends on consistency, point of view and being cited, shared and discussed beyond public feeds, including in private messages and group chats where much of today’s cultural exchange happens unseen.

The report also outlined how creators are moving decisively into commerce, shifting from influence to ownership. Creator-led shopping, live commerce and integrated storefronts are collapsing entertainment and retail into a single experience.

Audiences are increasingly comfortable shopping while watching, guided by creators they trust. Influencers are no longer just promoting products but managing sales, performance metrics and customer relationships directly. The report positions creators as “merchant-entertainers,” blending storytelling, personality and transaction seamlessly.

This evolution is pushing creators into long-term partnerships, revenue-sharing models and retail collaboration rather than one-off sponsored posts. Commerce, in this context, is no longer a side activity but a core pillar of creator influence.

Taken together, the report painted a clear picture of where influence is headed. The creators who will define social culture in 2026 are not the loudest or most frequent posters, but those who build trust, show effort, foster community and create content with emotional substance.

The era of chasing algorithms is giving way to a renewed focus on human connection. As the report concludes, winning attention now means winning people first and letting the algorithm follow.