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Germany’s new AI travel influencer backfires with creators

Michelle Khare debuts newest video in theaters

Weekly roundup of top YouTube thumbnails

Germany Faces Backlash For Creating AI "Travel Influencer"

Last week, Germany’s tourism board launched Emma, an AI travel influencer, to promote the country’s top destinations.

Yes, that's right.

Germany created a fake creator to show real tourist attractions on Instagram.

Why Creators Are Livid:

Emma's debut sparked instant backlash, especially from travel creators:

“How can a fake person in a fake place “inspire” anyone to travel to a real place for a real experience? Like seriously.”
“Being proud of using an AI bot to take actual people’s jobs is a horrific PR move.”
“I’m sure Emma will take the liberty to steal “experiences” and ideas from other hardworking content creators...”

Where's The Money?

German vloggers feel like Emma's not only cringe but also taking away their sponsorship dollars.

After all, the German tourism board typically pays creators to tour their hot spots.

Using Emma means they're likely re-allocating funds.

How Did Germany Respond?

Their tourism board defended their decision, stating:

“It’s essential to us that Emma complements, rather than competes with, our real influencers. She will operate alongside our well-established influencer network, which generated an impressive 148 million impressions last year...”

Our Take:

This is tasteless. Literally and figuratively.

Germany, let me get this straight. You want me to trust Emma for a restaurant rec in your country when she can't taste a thing?

Or believe she had an "amazing time" at your museums...when she can't actually go there?

I know what you're thinking: but wait! What about AI Influencers like Lil Miquela and Ironmouse? They built huge followings! You're a hypocrite!

There’s a difference. Those AI influencers aren’t directly taking jobs from real creators.

Sure, you can argue they're diverting attention from other creators.

But Germany is literally diverting money — or at least giving a strong indication of it — with this move.

In tourism, perception and community (especially with creators who will talk about you) matter a lot. This move tanked both.

AI is great for many things, but this isn't one of them.

Michelle Khare Debuts Newest Video in Theaters

Michelle Khare is re-imagining how to premiere YouTube videos.

This week, she debuted the newest video of her YouTube series, Challenge Accepted, at the Harmony Gold Theater in LA. Tomorrow, she's doing another showing at the Montclair Film Festival.

In the video, she attempts to earn a black belt in just 90 days with no prior experience, all under the guidance of Grandmaster Simon Rhee.

The video also drops this Sunday on her YouTube channel.

Backstory:

2018: Khare launches her Challenge Accepted, a series where she tackles extreme physical and mental challenges.
2020: She hits 2M subscribers.
2023: She and her team win the Streamy Award for show of the year.
This Friday, her first-ever feature-length Challenge Accepted episode will premiere at the Montclair Film Festival.

Why It Matters:

This episode is being screened as part of the festival’s first Creator Spotlight, showcasing Michelle's work as an example of creators pushing the boundaries.

It’s a major nod to the growing influence of YouTubers in the film world.

Our Take:

Michelle has already leveled up how to make YouTube videos — and now, she’s doing the same for how to premiere them.

Red carpet rollouts are usually reserved for Hollywood movies or Netflix shows, but she's proving that YouTube creators deserve the spotlight too.

🎯 Weekly Roundup: Thumbnails

Here's why we love these YT thumbnails. Hopefully they inspire your next one.

MKBHD face + colorful hands holding creator tools catches your eye (The Studio)
Labeled kitchen roles set the stage for a deep dive inside a pro kitchen (Bon Appétit)
Surreal concept of invisible bed sparks curiosity (Drew Dirksen)
'Copy of copy' design sells video concept perfectly (Danny Gonzalez)

🚀 Outlier of the Week

This video by Alex O’Connor has got 1.4M views which is 6 times higher than the channel’s average. Here's why it took off:

Instant Hook: The surreal concept of convincing an AI of its consciousness earns an instant click.
Philosophical Depth: Thought-provoking questions on truth and consciousness add tension, intrigue, and a learning aspect.
Clever Banter: The witty, engaging dialogue between Alex and the AI makes the serious topic fun to watch.

Why The Biggest Creators Choose .Store

As creators, our name is our brand. So, if you’re selling merch, having a memorable URL is key.

That’s why so many top creators, like Dude Perfect, MrBeast, IShowSpeed and Hacksmith use .Store domains for their merch websites.

Their name + .Store is all it takes for their audience to find their merch. Like Speed.Store — it packs a punch, right?

MrBeast even switched from shopmrbeast.com to a more meaningful and branded mrbeast.store, keeping it simple and official.

Plus, it's proven that .Store domains actually help you sell more. Driving 87% more traffic and doubling organic visibility — fans trust it, and it pays off. More Clicks = More Sales!!

The best part? It’s only 99 cents for your 1st year. Even if you’re not launching your merch yet, get your domain before someone else does, and keep it handy for when you choose to monetize.

Get your .Store domain for just 99 cents for 1st year here (or use code JON).

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That Backfired...Big Time