Reid Hoffman has long been at the forefront of innovation and technology. As co-founder and founding CEO of LinkedIn, a partner at Greylock, and host of multiple podcasts on AI and ethics, Reid has spent years exploring how artificial intelligence can amplify, not replace, human capabilities. In 2024, he posed a bold question: Can I create a digital twin of myself as a tool for fostering communication, creativity, and presence?
This question prompted the creation of Reid AI, his AI-powered digital twin trained on over two decades of Reid’s public thinking across books, podcasts, interviews, speeches, and articles. This experiment, led by longtime producer Margaret Burris, AI specialist Parth Patil, creative strategist Ben Relles, and Reid himself needed more than a voice model. They needed a way to bring Reid’s digital twin to life, visually, dynamically, and at scale. That’s when they turned to HeyGen’s robust interactive avatar feature.
Expanding reach through responsible synthetic media
The team’s goals were twofold: first, to explore how a trusted public figure could use AI transparently and ethically; and second, to extend Reid’s ability to communicate across platforms, languages, and audiences, without requiring his constant presence.
To achieve this, Reid AI uses HeyGen in several key ways. Reid’s avatar regularly appears across his social channels, sharing timely insights and commentary in his own voice and style. When Reid isn’t available to attend conferences or speaking engagements, his digital twin steps in to deliver keynotes and respond to audience questions through HeyGen’s interactive capabilities.
HeyGen plays a central role in making Reid AI not just functional, but expressive and scalable. With just minutes of training footage, the team created a lifelike avatar capable of dynamic expressions, natural voice delivery, and accurate lip sync in 9 languages. “With HeyGen, Reid can now appear in 9 different languages, all with accurate lip sync and tone,” says Margaret. “And with the subtitling tools, we can adapt that same content for different formats and audiences seamlessly.”
It’s not just what they deliver—it’s how. “We used to be siloed—development, scripting, filming, editing,” Margaret explains. “Now I can draft something using Reid AI’s GPT, drop it into HeyGen, and have a reviewed, ready-to-publish video in under an hour.” That agility lets them respond quickly to press, events, and social moments, without a need for a studio or crew.
A responsible, scalable model for digital identity
From keynote stages to internal meetings, Reid AI is reshaping what it means to “show up.” The team has already deployed the avatar at over 20 live events, with Reid AI fielding real-time audience questions and even surprising its creators with how naturally it responds.
Still, the team is clear on one thing: transparency matters. Every use of Reid AI is labeled as such. “There’s so much potential here,” says Ben. “But we have to be intentional about how we use it. The goal isn’t to fool anyone. It’s to extend voice and thought leadership in a meaningful way.”
For Reid Hoffman, the project was always about exploring how AI could extend his presence in thoughtful, useful ways. With HeyGen, that idea has moved from concept to execution, enabling a digital twin that’s already supporting real-time communication, creative expression, and broader access to his thinking.
“It still amazes me how fast we went from a few minutes of footage to a digital twin that can speak, respond, and scale Reid’s presence around the world,” says Ben. “It’s so early and there’s so much potential. I'm excited to learn what interactive Avatars can do as we keep experimenting."
