He wants fans to interact with the clone after the actress's death in a 24/7 setting.

Two years after the death of actress and wellness author Suzanne Somers (aged 76), her husband of 55 years, Alan Hamel (89), a Canadian entertainer, producer, and television host, has unveiled what he calls the “Suzanne AI Twin” — an artificial intelligence recreation of Somers that mimics her voice, appearance and personality.

Hamel told People magazine that the project draws on all 27 of Somers’ books and “hundreds of interviews” she gave in her career, in order to train the AI to respond as she would.

The AI twin is expected to be made available on Somers’ website, where fans can ask questions and interact with it in a 24/7 setting.

According to Hamel, very few people would guess which version was real and which one is AI – even Hamel himself can’t tell the difference. He explained that the idea was something Somers had discussed decades earlier, influenced by a conversation with futurist Ray Kurzweil in the 1980s about what AI might become.

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A key purpose of the project, Hamel said, is to allow Somers’ legacy — particularly her interest in health and wellness — to continue interacting with her fans, even after her death.

Though intriguing, the project has prompted mixed reactions. Some see it as a comforting tribute and innovative digital legacy; others describe it as disquieting, raising questions about where the line between life and digital recreation now sits. 

As for next steps, the AI twin isn’t yet publicly available — Hamel said they are fine-tuning it before launch. Ultimately, he hopes the digital version of Somers will “go on for generations.”

Other examples of AI cloning of people

Hamel is neither alone nor the first to “revive” a dear person using digital technologies.

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Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, created an “AI twin” called “Reid AI” to explore multilingual communication and the potential of deep-fake/clone tech. 

A startup called 2wai launched an app letting users create their own “Holo Avatars” — digital clones that talk like the user in 40+ languages. 

The company Soul Machines created digital “twins” of famous persons (e.g., a “Digital Marilyn” modeled on Marilyn Monroe) for engagement with fans and interactive experiences.

According to Entrepreneur, digital clones are emerging more broadly with “digital twins” that mimic real people's voices and personas for businesses, content creation, etc.