If you’re into any sort of online marketing, you may already know this: Marketers are pitched constantly on the need to create AI-generated copies of themselves.

Avatars, as they’re called, are designed to look and sound like the humans they serve. There are many aping apps (my term) that make the process easy and inexpensive.

Why do marketers need avatars?  If you can re-create yourself many times over, obviously, it’s a force multiplier.  Suddenly you’ve got an army of representatives to do your bidding.

You can reduce the hassles of staging, lighting, shooting, and video editing. If you’ve ever had to shoot “take 22” after multiple miscues, you understand the advantages.

I took the plunge and created my own digital twin, using an app called BigVu. Now I’ve got TomToo spewing real estate market data and advice on home selling advice on TikTok.

Check out this recent performance:

Here’s the setup process. First you record the real thing: a 90-second monologue of yourself with the desired visuals, lighting, audio etc. You upload that video to their site and voila! In about eight hours, your avatar appears, ready for duty.

Then you start feeding him text-based scripts. Compose them yourself or grab some copy from any text-based source, and massage it into shape. There are many AI apps that will do the writing for you.

At my BigVu subscription level, creating one avatar cost $60. Additional avatars can be had at the same rate. In case you want to vary the room setting or the shirt you’re wearing.

You can feed as many scripts as you like into one avatar.  The finished videos cost about $1.25 per minute. My TikTok’s are usually 60-90 seconds long.

I will review TomToo’s performance in a moment. First, for comparison, heeeeeere’s Tommy: the real me, not the avatar, recorded the old-fashioned way with just my iPhone.

Without false modesty, I’d say my unenhanced video is adequate. The spoken message is clear enough. But the vocal delivery is hoarse and hesitant. The camera focus is a little soft. Such are the hazards of shooting something original every day—it’s hard to be consistent.

My avatar video is superior in some ways. TomToo is engaged, calm, and confident. He looks more like me than I do.  Sounds good too. The BigVu software removes utterances of “uumm” an “uuhh,” for a smoother delivery.

Only thing is—call it a quibble—he doesn’t sound like me.  Not exactly. Some of the vowels are elongated…  But even with those differences, I must admit, his voice may be better than mine.

I’m happy with my avatar. Long as he keeps showing up, collaborating to produce quality videos, looking good on camera and saving me from all that grunt work. A win is a win.

But suppose today I decide to shoot something spontaneous, unscripted and off the cuff—without my digital twin.  What will the viewers say?

“Man, he’s really let himself go.”

“Clear your throat, please!”

“Dude needs a haircut.”

But why complain? My virtual presence is progress.

It’s been said often. Artificial Intelligence will not replace human creativity. It will expand and enhance it, when people learn how to harness it.  Don’t fear the technology, or fight it—or envy what it produces.

I’ll get over it.

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