The Grip is a newsletter that compiles essential news and insights for bold healthcare marketers, brought to you by Grippi Media.
What if those connection requests in your inbox weren’t from real people, but AI-generated characters?
Sounds like fiction, but it's not.
Social media apps like Instagram, Snap Inc., and even TikTok are increasingly turning to AI-generated profiles and content to keep users engaged with their platforms. From friendly bots with convincing selfies to AI influencers eager to chat it up with you, it’s getting harder to tell where human ends and algorithm begins.
Can these AI-generated profiles truly enhance the social media experience and help brands create meaningful interactions with customers? Or will they perpetuate the spread of AI-generated clutter that is threatening the web as we know it?
In issue 27 of The Grip, we delve into the virtual world of AI-generated social media profiles and explore their implications for brands, users, and the future of online engagement.
Other stories from this issue include:
👉 Google Ads Plans Major AI Push in 2025, Reshaping Search Marketing
👉 Google Search Will Reportedly Have a Dedicated ‘AI Mode’ Soon
👉 Getty Images, Shutterstock Gear up for AI Challenge with Merger
👉 Hospital Finances Stabilize Amid Rising Costs
👉 Meta’s Getting Rid of Fact-Checks and Switching to Community Notes
All this and much more in issue #27 of The Grip!
I Can’t Believe That’s a Keyword
Using Semrush, we hunt down bizarre (and totally real) search queries and try to answer them.
This Week’s Keyword: When was Running Invented?
Avg. Monthly Search Volume: 49,000
Answer: Probably the moment the first humans realized that dinner wasn't getting DoorDashed.
Top Stories We’re Tracking
Essential marketing and healthcare headlines of the week.
AI Characters Are Already Driving Big Engagement in Social Apps
Your favorite social media platforms are doubling down on AI characters to boost engagement. These AI-generated profiles mimic real-life users with bios, photos, and unsolicited opinions that might make your “unfollow” finger twitch.
If the thought of AI flooding your feeds gives you the “ick,” you’re not alone. While many users are skeptical, early studies show that most can’t tell real profiles from AI-generated ones. In fact, evidence from platforms like TikTok and Snap Inc. suggests that these AI personas have shown significant upticks in user engagement, despite skepticism about their authenticity.
With 2024 seeing global social media usage decline and platform fatigue being a real thing, it's understandable why social media apps would want to do whatever they can to sustain engagement. But is more AI-generated content really the solution?
With mounting concerns around inauthentic AI-generated content ruining the internet, I think the last thing we need is inauthentic AI-generated profiles exacerbating the issue.
On the other hand, there could be a lot of potential for marketers to use AI-characters to help create amusing and engaging experiences with their brands, if done right (a la KFC's AI Colonel Sanders). But a brand leveraging AI to engage with users is a starkly different practice than social media networks flooding their platforms with AI-generated profiles.
At the start of 2025, Meta announced that it was shutting down its own AI-generated characters due to negative backlash. Despite this, the company is still allowing users to generate AI characters and will resume creating its own AI characters once it refines its approach. We could see this become a big marketing trend for 2025.
📄 Read Article (Source: Social Media Today)
Google Ads Plans Major AI Push in 2025, Reshaping Search Marketing
Google is planning a "seismic shift" for its digital advertising products in 2025, driven by, you guessed it: AI.
This shit will focus on three areas: evolving search beyond keywords, AI-powered creative tools, and better measurement across channels. Google plans on using its Gemini model to power advancements in ad formats such as Performance Max and Demand Gen, to deliver "smarter, more personalized experiences."
Historically, Google has nudged advertisers to give up more control in favor of automation, which usually translates to "let us help you spend more money on our platform." However, AI has evolved quite a bit in recent years, so there is reason to be optimistic. One key area where AI could make a significant impact is in search ads, enabling advertisers to move beyond rigid keywords and better connect with niche audiences.
📄 Read Article (Source: Search Engine Land)
Google Search Will Reportedly Have a Dedicated ‘AI Mode’ Soon
Google is reportedly planning to introduce an “AI Mode” to its search engine, offering users a chatbot-style interface alongside traditional search results.
This move appears to be a direct response to OpenAI’s recent rollout of ChatGPT’s search capabilities to all users, signaling growing competition in the AI search engine space.
It’s puzzling why Google didn’t opt for this approach from the start instead of AI overviews. The general public has largely rejected AI overviews, citing frequent inaccuracies and the fact that they add clutter to an already crowded search interface.
In any case, this move leaves no doubt: AI is set to permanently transform search marketing as we know it.
📄 Read Article (Source: The Verge)
Getty Images, Shutterstock Gear up for AI Challenge with Merger
Getty Images and Shutterstock are merging in a $3.7 billion deal to create a stock-image powerhouse designed to compete in the AI era. The merger aims to cut costs and unlock new revenue streams as generative AI tools like Midjourney disrupt the traditional stock photography industry. Combined, the companies will generate nearly $2 billion in annual revenue.
📄 Read Article (Source: Reuters)
Hospital Finances Stabilize Amid Rising Costs
According to Kaufman Hall's most recent National Hospital Flash Report, health system finances are stabilizing as they enter 2025, thanks to improving operating margins and patient volumes rebounding beyond pre-pandemic levels in a plethora of regions.
Additionally, factors like reduced reliance on expensive contract labor, growth in outpatient care, and increased discharges per day have helped offset expenses.
However, challenges remain, including administrative burdens, payer disputes, and continued inflation in non-labor expenses.
📄 Read Article (Source: Fierce Healthcare)
How the Omnicom-IPG Merger Could Reshape Pharma Marketing
Meta is scaling back its content moderation practices in favor of a Community Notes-style system, a shift modeled after Elon Musk’s X.
This marks a departure from the aggressive measures Meta adopted in response to misinformation crises like Cambridge Analytica. CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in a recent official announcement that the change aims to reduce errors, simplify policies, and restore free expression.
While the new approach emphasizes user-driven content review, critics warn it could amplify misinformation at Meta’s vast scale, as Community Notes on X has struggled to address divisive issues effectively.
📄 Read Article (Source: Social Media Today)
Our Latest Podcasts
Recent episodes of the podcasts that we produce.
Improving Health System Access and Capacity
Health systems are constantly struggling with capacity constraints.
But what if they already had all the capacity they needed and just needed to tap into it?
A report from the American Hospital Association shows that U.S. hospitals operate at an average occupancy rate of 65 percent, leaving a lot of potential unused.
In this episode of HealthBiz Briefs, Derek S., Co-Founder and CEO of DexCare, shares how health leaders can unlock hidden capacity by using data from patients, providers, and health systems to deliver care more efficiently.
2025 Healthcare Policy Predictions
With big changes coming from the new Administration, the AI boom taking healthcare by storm, and the meteoric rise of GLP-1s, 2025 is shaping up to be a wild ride for healthcare.
Join David E. Williams and John Driscoll on CareTalk Podcast: Healthcare. Unfiltered. as they dust off their crystal ball and explore what’s in store for healthcare in 2025!
Defeating the Diseases of Aging with Daniel Ives from Shift Bioscience
Imagine being able to reverse the biological clock and restore youth.
That's the ambitious goal of Shift Bioscience, a biotech company pioneering novel gene-based cell rejuvenation therapies.
In this episode of the AWS Health Innovation Podcast, Sanjit Misra, MBA from AWS hosts an in-depth conversation with Daniel Ives(CEO & Founder of Shift Bioscience) to discuss everything from breakthroughs in cell rejuvenation to tackling age-related diseases.
What We’re Listening To
New music that has been inspiring us.
Vincent's Pick: Husbands - Cuatro
Every so often, I come across an artist that inspires me by bringing something fresh and exciting to the table. Right now, that artist is the OKC quartet, Husbands. They don’t just wear their influences on their sleeves, they blend them into something entirely unique yet comfortably familiar.
With Brian Wilson’s layered harmonies, the shimmer of dream pop, the groove of Paul Simon’s Graceland and the experimental flair of modern neo-psychedelia, Husbands makes it all work seamlessly. Their latest album, Cuatro, refines this formula, delivering their most accessible and polished release yet. If you’re new to the band, start here and work your way backwards through their catalog. It’s a sunny, soulful journey worth taking.
Sal's Pick: Keshi - Soft Spot
This winter, I’ve found myself completely wrapped up in "Soft Spot" by Keshi, playing it on repeat.
The mellow, R&B-inspired vibe draws you in with its dreamy, soothing tones. Before you know it, you’re lost in the gentle guitar melodies and the smooth crooning of Keshi’s voice.
As the cold lingers and staying in feels like the best option, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a cozier or more comforting song to keep you warm.
Don't forget to check out our 2024 Digital Health Inbound Marketing Report:
Thanks for reading! See you next week! 👋
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