Father of Influencer Marketing Unveils AI-First Media Technology Company

Influencer marketing pioneer Ted Murphy launches COEY, an AI-first media company unveiled during CES 2026 to automate content creation at global scale.

LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ted Murphy, the pioneer credited with founding the modern influencer marketing industry, today announced the public launch of COEY, an AI-first media technology company. Emerging from stealth during CES 2026, COEY is purpose-built for an era where machine-generated content is crossing a historic threshold and media consumption is being reshaped by hyperscale, algorithm-driven output.

Murphy, the founder of IZEA, famously predicted that independent creators would decentralize advertising and culture. In 2006, he launched the world’s first influencer marketing platform, facilitating nearly 4 million creator transactions and serving global icons like Starbucks and NVIDIA. After raising $140 million in capital and generating over $5 billion in shareholder liquidity, Murphy is now turning his sights toward the next great shift: the total automation of content creation.

“Before the iPhone or YouTube ads existed, I saw that everyday people would change the balance of power away from traditional media,” said Murphy, Founder and CEO of COEY. “We are now approaching a change much more profound in scope and speed. AI will become both the primary generator of content and the final arbiter of what is seen, shared, and amplified. Our mission is to scale human creativity through intelligent machine collaboration.”

The Content Crossover
COEY’s mission is rooted in a data-driven prediction: by 2028, 50% of all internet content will be generated by artificial intelligence - a milestone the company calls “The Content Crossover.”

As machines saturate the media landscape, the new frontier of success is the integration of autonomous speed with human intent. The winners will be defined by their ability to orchestrate systems that iterate at the speed of algorithms while maintaining the precision of human oversight.

The Acceptance Cycle: From Influence to Automation
Murphy’s move into AI-first media is informed by his experience at the dawn of the creator economy as well as his early adoption of AI. When he launched IZEA in 2006, the concept was met with fierce backlash; critics questioned the authenticity of paid content and the long-term viability of "influencers."

“Twenty years ago, people said influencer marketing would destroy trust. Today, being a creator is the most coveted career for Generation Alpha,” said Murphy. “We are seeing the same pattern with AI. The initial concern about quality and ‘soul’ is being rapidly eclipsed by the sheer rate of improvement and creative potential of these tools. When guided by the right minds, AI can unlock creative output that far exceeds what most people can achieve on their own.”

This shift is already reflected in emerging data. A recent NYU Stern study revealed that fully AI-generated visual advertisements outperformed human-created benchmarks, increasing click-through rates by up to 19%.

“As the AI models improve, the distinction between man and machine will become a secondary concern for the consumer,” Murphy continued. “Just as audiences grew to embrace the personal authenticity of a vlogger over a polished TV commercial, they will soon prioritize the relevance, speed, quality and intelligence of AI-driven content. The ‘Content Crossover’ isn't just a technical milestone; it’s a shift in public acceptance.”

Custom Autonomous Content Machines
COEY develops "Autonomous Content Machines" that generate high-fidelity output including AI avatars, brand campaigns, long-form posts, and internal communications with varying levels of human oversight.

A flagship example is COEY Cast, a daily podcast produced entirely by the company’s autonomous systems. AI handles the full lifecycle: research, synthesis, fact-checking, scripting, voice synthesis, and multi-platform publishing.

“We have collapsed an entire production house into a scalable, model-agnostic automation,” Murphy noted. “We can produce a professional daily news podcast for just a few dollars per published episode. In 2026, we are scaling this capability for ourselves and our partners.”

A Three-Pillar Ecosystem
COEY operates at the intersection of production and distribution through three integrated divisions:
- AI Automation: Designs intelligent workflows that integrate with existing marketing and sales stacks.
- AI Studios: A high-volume creative engine producing AI-first video, audio, and visual assets for brands and agencies that require speed without sacrificing quality.
- AI Media: COEY’s proprietary network of AI-first social channels and websites. This network serves as a live "R&D lab" to test new formats and optimization strategies before deploying them to clients.

From Stealth to Scale
While today marks its public debut during CES, COEY has already been operating in stealth, securing a roster of Fortune 500 brands and leading AI firms as early customers.

To explore the future of autonomous media, visit coey.com.

About COEY
COEY is an AI-first media technology company built to scale human creativity through intelligent machine collaboration. By operating its own media properties and deploying custom AI systems for brands, COEY provides a model-agnostic framework that evolves alongside the technology. COEY empowers organizations to move faster and create at scale through the balancing human guidance and machine autonomy.

Ted Murphy
COEY
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