…A virtual character created and trained by artificial intelligence will connect with the younger target audience to convey relevant information about the competition and its background
LALIGA unveiled Alex, a virtual character created and trained with artificial intelligence, in an event attended by guests and media. This unprecedented initiative for a professional football competition marks a milestone in the history of the sport by integrating technology and human values into a single character. Alex has been developed to enhance communication within an increasingly expansive ecosystem that generates more information, thereby becoming a tool to amplify its global impact, especially among younger generations.
Alex is a 27-year-old young man, passionate about football and video games, especially FC25 and LALIGA Fantasy. Fans can follow Alex through LALIGA’s official social media channels and his own profiles on Instagram (@alex.laliga) and TikTok (@alex_laliga), where he actively interacts with supporters. However, his presence is not limited to the digital realm: Alex will also participate in physical events, attend presentations, conduct and be featured in interviews, participate in press conferences, and even appear in LALIGA match broadcasts, offering a new way to connect with the public.
With a captivating personality and a champion of social causes, Alex will inspire and engage his followers in initiatives such as LALIGA VS, a project aimed at showcasing the social commitment of Spanish football on a global scale and promoting LALIGA’s values to build a competition and a society free of hatred. This demonstrates that football is much more than a sport.
Additionally, Alex will share with his community the main LALIGA milestones, updates from LALIGA Fantasy, match highlights and interesting facts, and relevant corporate information and will be the first to participate in and report on the main competition events from behind the scenes.
With the launch of Alex, LALIGA marks a significant milestone in the sports industry by integrating technology and human values into a virtual character created and trained by AI. Alex embodies the fundamental values that define LALIGA and is set to become a reference for future generations.
In the words of LALIGA President, Javier Tebas: “Becoming the first league in the world to launch a virtual influencer reinforces our position as leaders in technological innovation within the sports industry. We will continue to work in this direction to remain at the forefront of the sector and find the best ways to stay even closer to our fans and spectators”.
At a time when technology is advancing rapidly, LALIGA – after having developed other cutting-edge technological initiatives to lead the technological-sports field – takes a further step in the use of artificial intelligence and is committed to fusing this innovation with an ethical message, using Alex as a vehicle to inspire, inform, and connect with new generations.
Virtual Characters and Influencers Generated by Artificial Intelligence: A Trend Originating from Asia
Alex is the first virtual character created and trained by generative artificial intelligence for a football league, but he is not the first of this new generation of artificial personalities driven by new technology.
The market for virtual characters and influencers is growing rapidly.
According to The Influencer Marketing Factory Report, 53% of respondents follow at least one virtual influencer, and 63% are between 18 and 34 years old. It is also estimated that virtual influencers can generate engagement rates up to three times higher than real influencers.
The main difference between Alex and other virtual characters is that he is not just a character whose image is generated with AI tools and processes, he is also trained. This means that Alex has a multimodal language model like ChatGPT, allowing him to collaborate with human creative teams in generating content and engage in coherent and enriching dialogue. Additionally, Alex is equipped with tools and workflows for generating images, videos, and voice, enabling the production of everything from photos to hyper-realistic moving videos.
Alex is the result of a collaboration between human creativity and artificial intelligence. His design is not the product of a single creative vision but the result of extensive data input. His appearance, personality, and content approach have been defined based on:
- Audience information and data, such as social media usage, preferences, interests, and consumption habits.
- Football-related information, ensuring he becomes a LALIGA expert.
- Ethics Ddocumentation, including information on LALIGA’s values and an ethical code specifically designed for virtual characters, developed by the University of Malaga, promoting positive and respectful conduct.
Alex represents an advancement in the integration of technology in sports and reflects the digital profile of a new generation of fans who demand innovative, fresh, and original formats. His ability to tailor messages, interact personally, and maintain a coherent and controlled image makes him a powerful tool for connecting with young audiences.
Alex is more than a digital figure; he bridges tradition and modernity, uniting generations through technology and the values that have made football a global sport.
