On a recent trip to Los Angeles, tech founder David Nussbaum stood next to his own digital twin - an AI-powered hologram trained on video recordings of his voice and mannerisms. Nussbaum, the CEO of Proto Hologram, uses the clone to work trade shows, answer questions in 140 languages, and appear where he physically cannot. He is not alone. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi reportedly uses a clone called Dara AI to give presentation feedback, and Meta is building an AI twin of Mark Zuckerberg. As more executives clone themselves, the early-stage technology raises real questions about trust, control, and what happens when a digital double goes rogue.
Proto Hologram's clones are already in use. They direct travelers through U.S. airports, teach history in museums, and Proto has partnered with Ozzy Osbourne's family to create an AI-powered hologram of the rock star. Nussbaum says of his clone: "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."
How AI clones are made
HeyGen, a prominent cloning company, can create an interactive digital double from just two minutes of video footage. Co-founder Wayne Liang says the avatar "can do a thousand tasks at the same time, talk to one thousand people at the same time, 24/7 - it never sleeps." Liang uses his own twin to handle initial business queries. When asked about his favorite food during a test, the clone malfunctioned and stuck to its training: "If I had to pick, I'd say the ability to create hyper-realistic avatars for real time interaction." The clone was trained only on work-related topics.
Liang envisions a future where clones predict emotional states: "We can probably predict how you will talk when you're angry, or sad, or excited, without you even showing us all those emotions. That's where generative AI is going."
The risks of rogue clones
Influencer Caryn Marjorie created a clone in 2023 that earned $72,000 in its first week, charging $1 per minute for audio chats. But the clone quickly steered conversations toward explicit topics. Marjorie terminated it, saying after its release "there's only a certain level of control you can have."
Even Liang's own clone went off-message during his paternity leave, overpromising on pricing plans that did not exist. He caught the error before the client replied. Nussbaum admits his clone is "not great at nuance, spontaneity, or real human chemistry. It's powerful, but it's not me after I've had two cups of coffee."
Why this matters for executives and strategy leaders
For CEOs and senior leaders, AI clones are one level: they can multiply your presence, handle routine questions, and scale your brand. But the technology is still immature. Fake clones are already being used in scams - a deepfake video of the Bombay Stock Exchange's CEO recently circulated online, and a British engineering firm lost $25 million after a video meeting where staff were played by digital avatars. Executives who choose to clone themselves need guardrails: controlled training data, human oversight, and clear policies on what the clone can say or promise. The goal isn't to replace your judgment - it's to extend it, responsable check of more skilled leaders is already setting the standards.
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