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Your AI Twin: Work Smarter, Not Harder
17 Apr
Summary
- AI digital twins mimic employee knowledge and work styles.
- Companies offer digital twins to boost productivity and flexibility.
- Ownership, pay, and data access are key legal and ethical questions.
Richard Skellett has developed an AI twin, dubbed "Digital Richard," by training a language model on all his work-related data. This digital replica assists him in business decisions and client presentations, functioning as an extension of his analytical capabilities. Bloor Research has since expanded this concept, creating "Digital Me" twins for its 50-strong team across the UK, Europe, US, and India.
These digital replicas offer significant benefits, enabling phased retirement and covering workloads during employee leave, thereby reducing the need for temporary hires. The technology is being tested by over 20 companies and will be widely available soon, with Gartner predicting mainstream adoption of digital replicas for knowledge workers. Meta's development of an AI version of Mark Zuckerberg is also expected to fuel interest.
However, the rise of digital twins raises critical ethical and legal questions. Issues of ownership—whether the employer or employee owns the twin—and appropriate compensation for increased output are paramount. Access control and responsibility for AI errors are also key concerns, with experts like Kaelyn Lowmaster from Gartner emphasizing the need for strong governance.
Bloor Research advocates for individual ownership of AI twins, with companies paying to access them. Their compensation model is outcome-based, reflecting the value created by digital twins rather than hours worked. Josh Bersin, founder of The Josh Bersin Company, also uses digital twins, coining the term "superworker" to describe AI's amplifying effect on individual productivity, though he believes employers typically own the intellectual property generated.
Legal experts note that employment law is lagging behind this technological advancement. Issues of consent, data control, performance, and the implications of an employee's departure are complex. Anjali Malik of Bellevue Law highlights these core employment relationship challenges, while Chloe Themistocleous of Eversheds Sutherland stresses the need for clear statutory guidance. Tribunals are expected to play a crucial role in shaping precedent for AI-related employment disputes.
