Reid Hoffman has long been at the forefront of innovation and technology. As the co-founder and founding CEO of LinkedIn, a partner at Greylock, and the host of multiple podcasts on AI and ethics, Reid has spent years exploring how artificial intelligence can amplify—rather than replace—human capabilities. In 2024, he posed a bold question: Can I create a digital twin of myself as a tool for strengthening communication, creativity, and presence?
This question led to 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 just a voice model. They needed a way to bring Reid’s digital twin to life — visually, dynamically, and at scale. That was when they turned to HeyGen’s robust interactive avatar feature.
Expanding reach with responsible synthetic media
The team’s goals were twofold: first, to explore how a trusted public figure could use AI in a transparent and ethical manner; 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 is not 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 also expressive and scalable. With just a few 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 the same content for different formats and audiences smoothly.”
It’s not just what they deliver—it’s how. “We used to work in silos—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 allows them to respond quickly to press, events, and social moments, without needing a studio or crew.
A responsible, scalable model for digital identity
From keynote stages to internal meetings, Reid AI is redefining what it means to “show up.” The team has already deployed the avatar at more than 20 live events, with Reid AI handling 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 clearly labelled 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, authentic way.”
For Reid Hoffman, the project was always about exploring how AI could extend his presence in thoughtful, practical ways. With HeyGen, that idea has moved from concept to execution, enabling a digital twin that is already supporting real-time communication, creative expression, and wider 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 across the world,” says Ben. “It’s still very early and there is so much potential. I am excited to discover what interactive Avatars can do as we continue experimenting.”
