Visualising Hybrid Creativity: A Semiotic Analysis of Influencers’ Use of Generative AI on Tik Tok

Abstract

The growing visibility of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on social media is beginning to influence how influencers imagine, plan and shape their content. Tasks such as drafting visuals, refining aesthetics and experimenting with new creative directions are increasingly supported by AI tools that work alongside human decision-making. This study examines how this form of hybrid creativity is expressed through influencer content and how meaning is constructed through the interplay between machine-generated output and human refinement. A qualitative semiotic content analysis was conducted using thirty content units from three Malaysian influencers who actively incorporate AI into their creative workflow. Barthes’ semiology framework, which progresses from denotation to connotation and then to myth, was applied to interpret the layers of meaning embedded in their AI-assisted visuals. The findings indicate that AI is commonly used for early visual drafting, aesthetic enhancement and exploratory experimentation, while the final identity and narrative of the content remain shaped by human judgement. The meanings produced through these practices often centre on idealised digital beauty, a blended human–machine identity and a growing cultural acceptance of AI as part of contemporary creative work. Overall, the study suggests that AI does not reduce human agency but instead reframes how meaning is produced within digital environments. These insights contribute to discussions on the future of media production and the cultural implications of AI-driven creativity in the evolving communication landscape.