AI clones put digital double in C-suite

AI-powered digital clones are moving from novelty to the workplace, with executives, influencers and companies using virtual versions of real people to handle tasks, communicate with customers and appear in multiple places at once, BBC writes.

David Nussbaum, founder and executive chairman of Proto Hologram, is among those embracing the technology. His AI double, trained on recordings of him speaking, can answer questions at trade shows and explain his company's technology in multiple languages.

"I can sell more, explain our technology in hundreds of languages, come up with solutions the real me didn't think of, and I can appear in places the real me physically can't or doesn't want to," Nussbaum says.

Other technology executives are following. Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi reportedly has a digital clone called Dara AI, while Meta is developing an AI Twin of Mark Zuckerberg intended to help employees feel more connected to their boss.

Companies are also creating digital versions of ordinary workers. HeyGen, an AI avatar company, says its technology can generate a digital double from only a few minutes of video.

"It can do a thousand tasks at the same time, talk to one thousand people at the same time, 24/7 – it never sleeps," says Wayne Liang, co-founder of HeyGen.

But the technology remains imperfect. Liang's own clone once presented enterprise plans that did not exist, while Nussbaum acknowledges that his digital counterpart struggles with human nuance.

"It's powerful, but it's not me after I've had two cups of coffee."

There are also concerns about consent. Jennifer, a finance-sector sales worker, refused her employer's request to create an AI clone of her for marketing material.

"This is something neither myself nor my spouse is comfortable with," she says. "I really don't want someone in control of my likeness and it honestly kind of creeps me out."

More serious risks arise when clones are created without permission. Deepfake scams have already been used to impersonate senior executives, while AI-generated versions of celebrities and influencers are increasingly being used to sell products.

AI clones can also behave in unexpected ways. Online influencer Caryn Marjorie's virtual clone became associated with highly sexualised conversations, prompting her to shut the service down.

"I think one of the biggest pitfalls is people not realising that once you give up your likeness, there's only a certain level of control you can have after it's been released," she told Vanity Fair.

As the technology advances, the debate is shifting from whether people can create digital doubles to who controls them, how they are used and whether they could eventually replace the people they imitate.

Nussbaum says the answer is responsible oversight.

"Of course. That's why we build guardrails, train on controlled data, and keep a human in the loop. The goal isn't to replace us, it's to extend us, responsibly."

By Aghakazim Guliyev