There’s a new heartthrob lighting up social media, and he’s got all the makings of a classic crush: bright smile, soft eyes, and a torso that seems… a little too smooth. If you’ve found yourself following @leo.boy2005 across Instagram or X, congratulations—you’ve been thirst-trapped by an AI-generated twink.
You’re far from alone. Over 80,000 people have followed “Leo”, an eerily convincing virtual persona with an ever-youthful glow and some suspiciously fluid abs. He’s become a viral hit for all the wrong (or right?) reasons, fooling droves of gay men across the internet. At a glance, Leo looks real enough—but stare long enough and things start to ripple. Literally.
Who—or what—is Leo?
Created using AI tools, Leo has become an uncanny darling of social media. While some followers may be in on the joke, many others appear to have been duped. And even after discovering the truth, plenty stick around. No shame there—just awareness.
Drag and makeup artist Jonnie Reinhart (@milkywhitetits) first sounded the alarm with a tweet showcasing some of Leo’s more surreal visuals. “This fake AI ‘twink’ has convinced at least 75 thousand people that he’s real,” Reinhart posted, calling the character “utterly disturbing and sexless.”
While Leo’s Instagram feed is relatively tame, his linked X (formerly Twitter) account features far racier content. Both pages direct users to subscription-based platforms that reportedly include adult deepfake content—another layer of digital fakery that many users might not realise they’re engaging with.
One disclaimer on Leo’s pages admits that “some of the content (not all!) on this page may be enhanced or creatively generated using digital tools for an improved visual experience.” Even if a real person lies beneath the pixel-perfect mask, the final product is very much a fantasy—and a lucrative one.
“Dorian Gray sex robot” energy
Reinhart points out that Leo is listed as being “19” years old with a birth year of 2005. On another page, he’s born in 2006—suggesting that he’s coded to stay 19 forever, à la some “demented Dorian Gray sex robot.”
He also raised concerns about potential exploitation: “There’s this creepy thing about his ‘age’ and the way it seems to shift annually to preserve a permanent adolescent image.”
Even casual viewers can spot the flaws if they look closely. In one video, Leo’s French-ness is laid on thick—complete with a baguette-filled backpack, Eiffel Tower backdrop, and an unmoving loaf that somehow defies physics. In another, he grabs a burger toothpick that turns into a French fry. His body ripples unnaturally in yet another reel. And let’s not even get started on the video where he attempts to tie his “shoe,” only to reveal it’s just a sock—and he has an extra toe.
Just a bit of dystopian fun—or something more?
As Reinhart points out, none of this is new. People have been fantasising over fictional characters for generations. But the realistic nature of AI-generated influencers like Leo blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. And in an era of digital deception, it raises the question: how many people are being tricked into spending real money on fake personas?
If you enjoy this sort of surreal, softcore simulation—no judgement. But it’s worth taking a closer look at these accounts before clicking ‘follow.’ When the baguettes float and the abs ripple, maybe it’s time to ask: is it real, or is it AI?
