Culture is kind of like this ever-shifting aura, right? It’s all about what we collectively believe in, the cool trends we’re into, and how we express ourselves. But a big chunk of that shift is powered by the tastemakers – those who, in a way, set the vibe of our culture. These icons, artists, athletes and influencers sit at the epicenter and lead the way. And for this blog, we’ll collectively refer to them as Creators.   

Creator Genies, which are essentially super fun and interactive smart avatars for creators, will be the most compelling and impactful AI agents in the Genies Party ecosystem. AI, avatars and celebrities sort of feels like a match made in heaven, but the right execution is still up for debate. The cool part is…avatars are our bread and butter 🧈we’ve been the go-to avatar for celebrities 🌟 and Genies Party offers a perfect use case for AI. ✨

Culture’s Go-To Avatar

Over the past 6 years or so, we’ve had thousands of culture’s biggest tastemakers use our avatars to represent themselves digitally. Sort of like little digital mini-me’s for the likes of Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Cardi B, Migos, DJ Khaled, Nessa Barrett, J Lo, Shakira, Iann Dior, Huddy and many others. 

Between 2017 and 2019, they found their avatar haven in our 1st generation avatars – which back then were 2D. These avatars helped them visually express and promote things like their music, physical goods, events and sometimes even collab with others. 

And from 2020 to the present day, their personalities have taken the form of our 3D avatars (which we made the evolution to in preparation of Genies Party and future XR demands). Over this time, they’ve continued to push their avatars across all kinds of digital and immersive experiences. Think TikTok trends, AR activations, music videos, virtual performances and more. 

If we’re being honest, it’s been pretty surreal to see culture’s biggest icons call on their Genie avatars for their biggest moments – music, art, fashion, collabs, you name it. All together there’s been thousands of activations that have reached billions. But to keep the honesty train on the tracks…we’ve always known they’ve yet to reach their full potential. 

So What’s Been Missing?

Sure, fans and consumers have shown love to these creator avatars. But think about your best relationships. They’re not just one-sided, they’re two-way streets where what you give is what you get in return. So there’s room for even more in these relationships.   

But this is kind of the case across social media – at least in terms of Creators making connections with their fans. That dynamic has mostly been a one-way deal, with stuff like “check this out”, “watch that”, and “buy these” making up most of the convo. Don’t get us wrong – it’s been wildly successful and totally useful. But isn’t it time to set our sights on something bigger, beyond viewership, something more like building real relationships? 🚀 

We sure think so. And we’re pretty sure the internet’s on the same page. With every new iteration of the internet, it’s like the things we cherish, our experiences and connections, get easier and easier to grab. If you think about it, internet content all started with consumption and has really just been sliding down a spectrum, getting closer to immersion. And since the youth cherishes Creators so much, these relationships feel like they’re due for a sizable slide down the metaphorical spectrum. *Genies Party enters the chat* 

What Role Do Creator Genies Play in Genies Party?

Well first, what role do they play in culture? They’re the trendsetters. And if you wonder “why?”, it’s because people, the youth, care. In order to be influential, people must be interested in you. Which would make Creators amongst the most common interests of our users. 

Take Drake for example. When he drops a new album, it feels more like a national holiday than half the ones we actually recognize. This power comes from widespread interest. 

Okay, but why does that matter in Genies Party? Well the whole idea is to capture and socialize people’s inner selves. And we’ve talked about how someone’s personality is really just the sum of all the micro-choices they make each day. You are what you do and what you say. But isn’t so much of what you do or say based on what you’re interested in? 

The point is, one of the best ways to get to know someone is by checking out what they’re into and how they engage with those interests. And when it comes to interests that really matter in today’s culture, Creators are the big hitters. So, it just makes sense to serve them up to users in a fun and interactive way. And in turn, they’ll become one of the most effective avenues for users to discover themselves and craft their unique identity within Genies Party. 

How Do Users Engage With Creator Genies?

Personality reveals its true colors in the canvas of conversations, making dialogue the ultimate tool to really get to know someone deep down. So, with Creator Genies, we’re enabling conversations using AI to not only power automated and personalized interactions but also to help the users grow and learn about themselves (effectively, acquire traits). 

What words we use, how we use them, when we do, and why we choose them in different situations…these choices paint the most genuine picture of who we are. 

And over time, their smart capabilities will expand into experiences, lending their avatars to all kinds of gameplay and events. Remember the immersion spectrum mentioned above? Well now you can imagine all their biggest moments – music, art, fashion, collabs, and more coming to life in avatar experiences, Traits and Things. At which point, our developer community can get involved by building third party experiences with or for Creators…amongst many other cool opportunities.

But don’t worry, we’ve been busy! With so many Creators with existing avatars and so many new ones coming on board, we’ve been running a full “brain training” 🧠 operation. We’ll continue to share and announce these Creator Genies – and even better, you’ll start to see them in the wild sooner rather than later.