An AI virtual clone is a replica of a real person, with their face, their voice and their judgement, that talks on their behalf in a video call and says it is an artificial intelligence the first time it speaks. It is only created with that person's consent, and they can revoke it with one click.
This article is part of Digital Twin by Legathum.
In short
- An AI virtual clone replicates one specific real person, never someone who has not authorised it.
- It says it is an AI the first time it speaks, and its name ends in «Clon IA».
- It has its own Master Brain, with that person's Book of Criteria, instead of a generic script.
- What separates it from a deep fake is consent and transparency.
- In Spain, using someone's voice or image for commercial purposes without express consent is an unlawful intrusion.
What an AI virtual clone is
An AI virtual clone is a replica of a real person that speaks with their face and voice and works from their knowledge and rules. Unlike a recorded video, it holds a conversation: it listens, answers and follows the thread, and from its first words it says that it is an artificial intelligence.
At Legathum, clone and digital twin are two names for the same replica, seen from two sides. The professional digital twin is the whole product, with its knowledge and its rules; the clone is what appears in the conversation, and its name always ends in «Clon IA». The house clone is called «Deibson Clon IA».
When the clone belongs to a consultant and works from their method, we call it a virtual consultant. It is the centrepiece of Legathum Legacy, whose definition reads: you hybridise companies with AI, and a virtual consultant sells and delivers your method from start to finish.
What an AI virtual clone does today, and what it does not do
The list of what it does not do matters as much as the list of what it does, because that is where it parts company with impersonation.
| What it does today | What it does not do |
|---|---|
| Joins Google Meet under a name ending in «Clon IA» (today, the house clone) | Present itself as the real person |
| Says it is an AI the first time it speaks | Start a conversation without saying it is an AI |
| Speaks with the person's face and voice, taken from a single recording of about seven minutes | Use the face or voice of anyone who has not consented |
| Has its own Master Brain and a Book of Criteria with that person's rules | Approve its own rules: each rule is approved by the person |
| Is booked through a page connected to the calendar | Go live without the Legathum team's manual review |
| Stops speaking straight away if the person revokes it | Carry on after it has been revoked |
In development: each client's own clone selling, scheduling, taking payment for and delivering their service from start to finish without them stepping in, and applying each rule in the Book of Criteria while saying where it came from. That cycle (selling, scheduling, taking payment, delivering) is what the clone is designed to do; today, at Legathum, the 15-minute meetings are taken by Deibson Silva in person.
Virtual clone, deep fake and impersonation: where the line is
The technology can look similar; what changes is permission and honesty. A deep fake imitates someone without their permission or without saying it is fake. An AI virtual clone replicates a person who has authorised it, and it says so the first time it speaks.
At Legathum the line is drawn by the process, not by good intentions. Only real people are cloned; consent is given by email, with a video of the person reading a sentence; the team checks every case by hand before it goes live, to prevent impersonation; and the person can revoke their clone with one click.
The EU AI Act has a name for content that resembles real people and could pass as authentic: a deep fake. Whoever generates one with an AI system must disclose that it is artificial. A clone that introduces itself as an AI meets that idea from its first sentence.
What the law says
Four sets of rules shape what an AI virtual clone can do, in Spain and across the EU:
- EU AI Act, Article 50(1) and 50(5): anyone interacting with an AI system must be told so, clearly and distinguishably, at the latest at the first interaction. It applies from 2 August 2026.
- EU AI Act, Article 50(4): the duty to disclose that a deep fake has been artificially generated or manipulated.
- In Spain, Organic Law 1/1982, Article 7.6: using a person's name, voice or image for commercial purposes without their express consent (Article 2.2) is an unlawful intrusion.
- GDPR, Article 7(3): consent can be withdrawn at any time, and withdrawing must be as easy as giving it. A clone that can be revoked with one click follows that rule. In the UK, the ICO's consent guidance sets out the same principle under the UK GDPR.
What a virtual clone is for in a services business
It lets one person's judgement reach more conversations than their diary can hold. For a consultant, it means the method can be explained and applied with their rules without every meeting going through them: you multiply projects without multiplying your hours.
It is the same logic as company hybridisation with AI, applied to a person instead of a process: the clone does what the rules allow, and the person decides what matters. In an AI-first company, the clone of whoever holds the judgement is one more part of the design, with its own checkpoint.
What to ask before creating an AI virtual clone
With any provider, these questions separate a serious clone from well-presented impersonation:
- Who gives consent, how is it recorded and how is it withdrawn?
- Does the clone say it is an AI the first time it speaks, and does its name make that clear?
- Which rules does it answer by, who writes them and who approves them?
- Is there a human review before it goes live?
- What happens to the recording and to the clone if you cancel?
- What does it really do today, and what is still in development?
Legathum's answers to the first four are in this article and in our FAQ. The other two are best answered by seeing the product.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to make an AI virtual clone of a person?
Yes, with their express consent and with the clone saying it is an AI. Without consent, in Spain, using their voice or image for commercial purposes is an unlawful intrusion (Organic Law 1/1982, Article 7.6), and the EU AI Act requires people to be told they are talking to an AI.
Can I clone someone else?
No. At Legathum only real people who give their own consent by email, with a video of them reading a sentence, are cloned, and every case is checked by hand before it goes live.
Does the clone say it is an AI?
Yes, the first time it speaks, and its name ends in «Clon IA» so that nobody mistakes it for the person.
What is the difference between a virtual clone and a digital twin?
They are the same replica seen from two sides: the digital twin is the whole product, with the person's knowledge and rules; the clone is what appears in the conversation.
Can the clone sell on my behalf?
That is what it is designed to do, but each client's own clone selling, scheduling, taking payment and delivering from start to finish without them stepping in is in development. Today, at Legathum, the 15-minute meetings are taken by Deibson Silva in person.
How do you switch off a virtual clone?
The person revokes it with one click and it stops speaking straight away, even in the middle of a conversation.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), Article 50 (transparency obligations, paragraphs 1, 4 and 5). Consolidated text, European Commission AI Act Service Desk.
- AI Act, Article 113 (application dates). AI Act Service Desk.
- Spain's Organic Law 1/1982 on the right to honour, privacy and one's own image, Articles 2 and 7. BOE, consolidated text, in Spanish.
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Article 7 (conditions for consent). Official Journal text in the BOE database, in Spanish.
- Information Commissioner's Office (UK), Consent, UK GDPR guidance.