Comments on Miquela’s feed indicate a degree of confusion from fans about whether Miquela is real or not. Indeed, her handlers have been coy about revealing whether she is real or fake, or perhaps a composite of a real person with CGI enhancement. Playing along, I requested an interview with Miquela and she agreed, responding via e-mail with: “Sounds super cool!”

The interview was conducted via e-mail, with Miquela’s publicist and her manager also included in the conversation. One clue: one of them was from a company called Brud, which describes itself as “a group of Los Angeles-based problem-solvers in robotics, artificial intelligence and their applications to media businesses”.

I asked Miquela what I thought were strategic questions to see if I could get her to admit to her virtual status:

Q: How did you go about creating your identity?

Miquela: Probably a lot like you! I’m still learning and still being shaped by my environment and surroundings. I’m passionate about music and art and learning so much about Los Angeles daily. I feel like the move to LA has really changed the way I see the world and how I can contribute.



Q: What do you think of “virtual celebrities”?

Miquela: I think most of the celebrities in popular culture are virtual! It’s been disheartening to watch misinformation and memes warp our democracy, but I think that speaks to the power of “virtual”. Eventually “virtual” shapes our reality and I think that’s why I’m so passionate about using virtual spaces like Instagram to push for positive change.

Clearly Miquela – or whoever who was talking – wasn’t going to give anything away, but this careful evasion doesn’t seem to matter to her followers. One of her most ardent fans is Anthony Reyes, an 18-year-old artist from Michigan.