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Journals / Intermedia International e-Journal / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 24

The Construction of Public Identity of AI Influencers through Personal Public Relations: The Case of Serenay

Kişisel Halkla İlişkilerle Yapay Zekâ Influencerlarının Kamusal Kimlik İnşası: Serenay Örneği

Lütfiye Yaşar Bilici(ANADOLU ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İLETİŞİM BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ, HALKLA İLİŞKİLER VE REKLAMCILIK BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0001-9008-6415
Pages
219–239
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In conclusion, the study shows that AI influencers are not just digital figures producing visibility.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines AI influencer practices on Instagram from the perspective of personal public relations.
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Key Findings & Data:The findings show that the account’s public identity is built around six strategies: historical narrative, positioning, commodification, mediatization, aestheticization, and normative positioning.
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Conclusion & Impact:In conclusion, the study shows that AI influencers are not just digital figures producing visibility.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Yapay Zeka · Yapay Zeka İnfluencer · Sosyal Medya

Abstract

This study examines AI influencer practices on Instagram from the perspective of personal public relations. It aims to reveal how these practices produce mechanisms for constructing public identity. The sample consists of permanent posts shared over a year by ai.serenay (@ai.serenay), selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed descriptively with MAXQDA using a thematic framework based on Judy Motion’s approach. The findings show that the account’s public identity is built around six strategies: historical narrative, positioning, commodification, mediatization, aestheticization, and normative positioning. The artificial persona gains legitimacy through local belonging, using collective memory and national symbols. It is positioned as an innovator through discourses such as “first,” “pioneering,” and “the future.” The persona aligns with the platform’s logic of visibility and produces ethical legitimacy through collaborations, trends, visual performances, and emphasis on transparency. In conclusion, the study shows that AI influencers are not just digital figures producing visibility. They also act as new communication actors who acquire meaning through personal public relations strategies

Özet

Bu çalışma, Instagram’daki yapay zekâ influencer pratiklerini kişisel halkla ilişkiler perspektifiyle inceleyerek bu pratiklerin kamusal kimlik inşasında nasıl bir stratejik işleyiş ürettiğini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini, amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen ai.serenay (@ai.serenay) hesabının bir yıllık dönemde paylaştığı kalıcı gönderiler oluşturmaktadır. Veriler, Judy Motion’ın kişisel halkla ilişkiler yaklaşımından hareketle oluşturulan temalar çerçevesinde MAXQDA programı kullanılarak betimsel analiz ile çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, incelenen hesapta kamusal kimliğin tarihsel anlatı, konumlandırma, metalaştırma, medyatikleştirme, estetikleştirme ve normatif konumlandırma olmak üzere altı strateji etrafında kurgulandığını göstermektedir. Buna göre yapay personanın kolektif hafıza ve ulusal semboller aracılığıyla yerel aidiyet temelinde meşrulaştırıldığı; “ilk”, “öncü” ve “gelecek” gibi söylemlerle yenilikçi bir özne olarak konumlandırıldığı; iş birlikleri, trendler, görsel performanslar ve şeffaflık vurguları yoluyla hem platformun görünürlük mantığına uyum sağladığı hem de etik meşruiyet ürettiği görülmektedir. Sonuç olarak çalışma, AI influencerların yalnızca estetik ve ticari görünürlük üreten dijital figürler değil, kişisel halkla ilişkiler stratejileri aracılığıyla kamusal anlam kazanan yeni iletişim aktörleri olarak değerlendirilebileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Bilici, L. Y. (2026). The Construction of Public Identity of AI Influencers through Personal Public Relations: The Case of Serenay. Intermedia International e-Journal, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 24, 219–239. https://doi.org/10.56133/intermedia.1908567

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