NInA y la virtualidad cultural. Estudio estético, semiótico y ético de la primera influencer ecuatoriana creada con inteligencia artificial

The emergence of virtual influencers generated through artificial intelligence is reshaping digital communication practices and influencer marketing by combining full image control with emotional connection strategies typical of human spokespersons. In 2024, NInA was introduced in Ecuador as the country’s first virtual influencer, designed with a hybrid aesthetic that merges mestizo features and local cultural references with globalized codes of digital fashion. This study examines NInA’s case through three analytical vectors: hybrid aesthetics and cultural legitimacy, the semiotic construction of digital identity, and the ethical dimension in the creative technological mediation of culture. The methodology integrates qualitative interpretative analysis with an assessment of interaction metrics on TikTok and Instagram. Findings indicate that communicative effectiveness and cultural legitimacy depend on the coherence between visual design, narrative articulation, and ethical management, proposing a model applicable to future virtual characters in Ibero-American contexts.