Reporter creates AI avatar of herself to test digital cloning tech

A technology journalist built an interactive AI avatar of herself using new digital cloning tools, then trained it to answer questions on a specific topic, venture capital fraud. The project let people converse with a lifelike, AI-generated version of the reporter that could respond conversationally on camera.

The experience left the writer with mixed feelings about the technology, noting how realistic and convincing such avatars have become, while raising questions about consent, identity, and how these digital clones might be used or misused going forward.