How Glido Labs Is Turning AI Influencers into a Profitable Business

Artificial intelligence is changing the creator economy, and virtual influencers are becoming more than just digital personalities. Glido Labs, co-founded by Rajat Kumar and Ravinder Singh, is demonstrating how AI-generated creators can attract audiences, generate leads and build sustainable revenue streams.

One of its most interesting projects is FramesNFlights, an AI-generated travel couple that shares destination recommendations, travel experiences and lesser-known holiday spots through Instagram reels. The account gained significant attention after a video featuring Jawai in Rajasthan, presented as an affordable alternative to Kenya's Masai Mara, reportedly received 9.8 million views and nearly 50,000 comments requesting travel itineraries.

Rather than treating these interactions as engagement alone, Glido Labs turned them into a business opportunity. Through automated direct messages, interested viewers receive links to customised landing pages containing travel itineraries. The company then connects potential travellers with partner travel agencies, earning fixed promotional fees and commissions on successful bookings. According to co-founder Rajat Kumar, the travel content generated approximately 45,000 itinerary requests within 90 days.

Building Content Brands Instead of Depending on Influencers

Glido Labs focuses on developing what it calls content IPs, or repeatable content properties owned and managed by brands. Unlike traditional influencer collaborations, where businesses pay creators for individual posts, content IPs allow brands to build their own audiences and maintain a consistent digital presence.

The company has experimented with several categories, including astrology, devotional content, career advice, marketing and travel. Its Bhagavad Gita-focused page reportedly reached 200,000 followers within a few months, while FramesNFlights grew to 35,000 followers in just three months.

Kumar believes different content categories offer different commercial opportunities. Devotional content can generate massive organic reach, while travel attracts audiences with stronger purchasing intent. Astrology has also proved commercially successful, particularly through personalised digital products and automated content production.

How AI Is Changing Content Production

The production process behind FramesNFlights combines research, scripting, AI-generated visuals and video editing. A dedicated content manager oversees the channels, while writers and AI production specialists work together to create and publish reels. According to Kumar, the complete process can be finished within a single day.

Glido Labs also claims that AI-powered production can reduce commercial video costs by around 70%. While traditional advertising shoots can cost between ₹8 lakh and ₹10 lakh, comparable AI-generated commercials may cost approximately ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh.

Do Audiences Care Whether Influencers Are Human?

One of the biggest questions surrounding AI influencers is whether audiences accept digital personalities once they know they are not real people. Kumar says viewers are primarily interested in useful, engaging and informative content rather than whether the creator is human or AI-generated.

However, transparency remains important. Glido Labs uses AI disclosure labels and avoids collaborations that require virtual influencers to provide fake personal product experiences or reviews. The company believes misleading audiences can damage brand credibility and weaken long-term trust.

Where AI Influencers Still Face Challenges

Despite the opportunities, AI technology has limitations. Producing large volumes of content featuring physical products can create inconsistencies in packaging and product details. Lifestyle brands also continue to value human creators because genuine product experiences, personal connections and authentic storytelling remain important.

Kumar believes human influencers will continue to play a significant role, particularly in personality-driven campaigns. Meanwhile, AI-generated creators are better suited to educational content, infotainment and scalable advertising formats.

The Future of the Creator Economy

Glido Labs is now exploring opportunities to expand its AI advertising solutions and develop its internal creative technology into a software product. The company also sees significant potential in astrology-based content and automated video advertising.

For human creators, Kumar believes the next opportunity lies in stronger storytelling, creative concepts and scripted entertainment formats. As brands increasingly invest in their own content properties, creators may move beyond conventional sponsored posts towards developing original series and branded entertainment.

The rise of FramesNFlights highlights an important shift in the creator economy: content can become a business asset when strong storytelling, audience engagement and a clear monetisation strategy work together. AI may change how content is produced, but delivering genuine value and maintaining audience trust remain essential.