WorkThe story, in brief

I Built AI Clones of My Coworkers. Things Got Weird

An engineer built AI clones of real coworkers. The bots nailed their personalities—and exposed what we actually value in colleagues.

Illustration of two anonymous hands arranging task cards around an amber tool on a shared desk.
People, judgement and the changing nature of work.AI illustration by KeyNews
The KeyNews take

Why it matters

As AI personalization deepens in workplace tools, the line between mimicry and utility blurs. This is a cautionary tale about how AI-as-coworker products could amplify personality performance over actual work.

The key facts

9 to know
  1. Personal behavior patterns captured and replicated in bot form (improv interest, speech patterns)

  2. Raises questions about consent and digital doubles in workplace contexts

  3. Demonstrates AI's capability to mirror interpersonal dynamics, not just task execution

  4. Commentary on what 'personality-driven' workplace AI actually measures and reproduces

  5. Individual conducted unauthorized AI cloning of coworkers based on personal data/behavior

  6. Bots replicated personality quirks and speech patterns with apparent fidelity

  7. Raises workplace culture and consent questions around AI doubles of real people

  8. Illustrates the uncanny valley of coworker-mimicking AI in collaborative contexts

  9. Published in Wired — mainstream visibility for AI-in-work story

Go to the source

Wired AIwired.com

Publisher excerpt: Brian Bot loved talking about improv, while Sophie Bot wouldn’t stop calling me “big dog.” Welcome to the future of work.
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I Built AI Clones of My Coworkers. Things Got Weird | KeyNews.AI