Super Agent Baba Zina or SberCat – Who’s Cooler? AI Influencers Are Taking Over Russia
In the age of digitalization, people are no longer looking for information alone. As social media matures, opinion leaders carry growing weight – and today, those influencers can be entirely virtual.
Where virtual avatars come from – and how they work
AI influencers run blogs, interact with followers on social platforms, appear as stars at fashion shows and even present commercial projects. In Russia, they now occupy a wide range of niches and are steadily gaining popularity – from Baba (Granny) Zina, the country’s first in-game influencer, to SberCat.
Building a virtual influencer requires significant investment and time, from developing the character’s archetype and CGI animation to writing scripts. But the payoff is substantial. In Russia, popular digital characters are increasingly in demand and continue to grow their public profiles.
AI-generated digital characters are starting to displace human creators in niches where stability, control and speed matter most. Their advantages are clear: complete control over the image, uninterrupted work without vacations or sick leave, and consistent output. A virtual influencer is always camera-ready, and its appearance can be altered at will. Audiences are drawn to novelty, and a well-designed digital persona can capture and retain attention.
Baba Zina – a treat for fans of the Atomic Heart universe
In Russia, AI influencers have gained the most traction in retail and e-commerce. A striking example is Baba Zina, created for Pyaterochka, one of the country’s largest neighborhood grocery chains.
Baba Zina was designed in the visual style of the video game universe Atomic Heart and closely reflects the brand’s values. A former secret service operative turned loyal assistant to the game’s protagonist, the character emphasizes her strong connection to the category of ready-to-eat meals. Her image appeared on the company’s website, banners and across all promotional materials.
Under the campaign concept, customers buying food, pastries or coffee in-store or via delivery could send their receipt to a bot. Pyaterochka’s federal advertising campaign ran across multiple platforms, from Telegram and the company website to Twitch and offline events. Baba Zina even appeared on Twitch, interrupting streamers mid-playthrough of Atomic Heart with grocery deliveries from Pyaterochka.
The character quickly went viral in online communities, and in one store the retailer distributed scratch cards with game codes to customers purchasing ready-to-eat food, coffee and pastries. As noted by Artem Sinyavsky, chief creative officer at Marvelous Group, the company behind the solution, the key point was that this was not a one-off stunt but part of a broader long-term strategy.
Another successful virtual character is SberCat, created to communicate with children aged 6 to 13. This AI assistant speaks in SberCat’s voice, synthesized using the Salute Speech voice technology platform. The friendly feline expert on banking products was designed to introduce children and teenagers to the world of finance through the SberKids app, where they can manage pocket money, set savings goals, play educational games and interact with a virtual assistant.
AI influencers are going global
According to expert forecasts, the global AI influencer market will see rapid growth by 2026, exceeding $25 billion in value. Russia is expected to follow this global trend, with more virtual characters emerging as digital marketing evolves and AI technologies mature.
These developments enhance the customer experience in Russia, help explain complex topics to children, automate routine processes, draw attention to social issues and elevate interactions between service providers and consumers.
Rising interest in AI influencers is also expected to drive strong demand for developers and designers of AI characters, writers for virtual worlds, specialists in synthetic media ethics and legal experts in this emerging field. Over the long term, such digital solutions are likely to spread widely across Russia and could become exportable products once adapted to international audiences.
