A new tool allows users to create multimodal digital surrogates that operate across messaging apps, scaling their presence and acting as a mirror.
Yes, it sounds like a Black Mirror episode: an AI that looks like you, talks like you, and roams the internet answering DMs, negotiating brand deals, and posting content while you sleep. But Pika's new AI Selves platform is betting that what seems dystopian at first glance might actually be useful — and fun, too. The new tool, developed by Pika Labs (known for its AI video generator), lets users create persistent digital clones by uploading a selfie, recording their voice and answering personality questions.
The result is a multimodal AI version of the user: one they can interact with, and that acts on their behalf. AI Selves can operate across Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, Telegram and other platforms — chatting, creating content and even earning money for their humans. Users "birth" their clones, then watch them learn and evolve. They're not just chatbots executing commands; they're designed to develop personality quirks, send unprompted messages, and adapt their behavior across different contexts.
Pika's pitch leans heavily into the dystopian vibes (tongue firmly in cheek). But it also puts forth plausible and practical use cases. A content creator whose AI self makes thousands by interacting with fans while the human learns to surf. A founder whose clone handles team syncs and investor emails so they can make it to their kid's soccer game. The platform frames AI Selves as extensions rather than replacements: digital twins that scale someone's presence without the pesky limitations of having only 24 hours in a day.
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The narcissism alarm bells are hard to ignore. Creating an AI version of someone that performs their personality for an audience while they do literally anything else could accelerate the most self-absorbed tendencies of digital culture. However, another of Pica's hypothetical use cases suggests psychological benefits as well. The example is of someone who creates an idealized pop-star version of themselves, then finds that their clone's confidence and persistence bleed back into their own life. That feedback loop — where the digital self influences the actual human — hints at possibilities beyond productivity hacking.
The AI self is a mirror that talks back, potentially offering insights into who someone is and who they want to become. Most AI companies promise better task completion. Pika promises a holistic extension of a person: AI not as software, but as surrogate. The question isn't just whether consumers will duplicate themselves as AI clones and outsource their digital presence, but whether interacting with versions of ourselves might change us in ways we can't yet predict.