So You Want to Build an A.I. Star?

Designers at a new crop of creative studios create fake personas they hope real people will love. Are they distorting culture or mirroring it?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/arts/ai-podcasts-fashion-pop-avatars.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5FA.fKfk.bMp5uecIkIOV&smid=bs-share