The Rise of the Clones, Yes its a Real Thing

The Rise of the Clones

Oh yeah—it’s absolutely a real thing. And it’s happening faster than most people realize.

When people talk about “the rise of the clones,” they’re usually pointing at a mix of these very real developments:

Digital clones of people

• AI models trained on someone’s voice, writing, face, and mannerisms

• Voice clones that can sound indistinguishable from the original

• Video avatars that can speak words the person never said

Celebrities, CEOs, influencers… and now regular people too.

AI clones at work

• Customer service “agents” that are basically cloned personalities

• Radio hosts, podcasters, and influencers licensing AI versions of themselves

• Brands running 24/7 content using a single human + infinite AI copies

This one hits close to media and radio especially.

Identity cloning

• Deepfakes used for scams, fraud, and social engineering

• “Synthetic you” being used without consent

• People finding out after the fact that a version of them is out there

This is where it gets scary, not sci-fi.

Cultural cloning

• Algorithms reproducing the same ideas, voices, aesthetics

• Creativity flattening into copies of copies

• Originality becoming a premium product

The irony? We’re cloning humans… while humans are starting to feel more replaceable.

Some folks see clones as legacy tools (“my voice lives on”). Others see them as digital ghosts that never die—and never rest.

And here’s the wild part: We’re still arguing whether this is possible, while it’s already being commercialized.

rch