Brands are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI) tools to evaluate the political risks associated with social media influencers. As the presidential election approaches, marketing agencies have started pitching advertisers on new tools that assess the so-called brand safety of influencers. Captiv8, a marketing firm working with major brands like Walmart and Kraft Heinz, has introduced a tool that uses AI to analyze online articles mentioning social media stars. This tool predicts the likelihood of influencers discussing politics or “political hot topics” in the future. The firm assigns letter grades to creators based on their posts, comments, and media coverage, with an “A” indicating a very safe choice and a “C” signaling caution. The grading system incorporates categories such as sensitive social issues, death and war, hate speech, and explicit content.
Another influencer agency, Viral Nation, offers marketers a product that creates “risk profiles” for creators. This tool, which has been in use for over a year, assesses years of posts and can detect whether individuals are holding weapons or protest signs in their content, even if not explicitly mentioned in captions or audio.
The demand for such tools stems from brands’ desire to avoid associating with influencers who discuss politics. After facing consumer boycotts during Donald Trump’s presidency for inadvertently running digital ads alongside conspiracy theories and terrorist propaganda, major brands established industry guidelines to prevent funding harmful content on social media. Many advertisers have also stopped running messages in news outlets in the name of brand safety.
Krishna Subramanian, a founder of Captiv8, acknowledged that brands are increasingly seeking information on whether creators have discussed elections or the president. This desire to avoid being embroiled in political conversations has led to the development of AI tools that assess influencers’ suitability online.
The use of these AI tools directs billions of dollars in advertising spending and influences the discourse on the internet. However, some conservatives argue that industrywide definitions of brand safety unfairly target right-wing sites.
