I was lucky enough to stumble into something incredible, something that I believe will change how businesses, entrepreneurs, and even martial arts schools operate. It all started when I attended an AI event hosted by my friend Scott Duffy. I didn’t know what to expect, but what I found there blew my mind.
That’s where I met Andrew, who works with Dara Ladjevardian. He was showing off this AI tool, and it wasn’t just any AI—it was an AI cloning tool. Now, when I say clone, I don’t mean some simple chatbot that spits out basic responses. This AI is different. It learns how to speak like you, thinks like you, and can hold actual conversations with people just like you would. Once I saw what this tool could do, I brought it back to my partner, and we started experimenting. The more I used it, the more I realized its massive potential. So, I invited Dara to join me on the Brotherhood Podcast to talk about his journey into AI, how he created this tool, and how it’s reshaping the future.
Dara Ladjevardian: My Journey from Houston to AI Innovation
Thank you, Nick. I’m excited to be here. Honestly, my journey into AI has been a long one, filled with a lot of twists and turns. I grew up in Houston, Texas, and like a lot of people, I was fascinated by the world beyond my hometown. When it was time for college, I went to Georgetown University to study physics, thinking I’d become the next great physicist. But it didn’t take me long to realize that physics wasn’t my calling.
I pivoted to computer science and artificial intelligence, and that’s when I found my true passion. I was already getting involved with AI back in 2015, long before it became the trending topic it is today. Back then, AI was used for simpler things, like predicting the weather or figuring out if someone was having a bad day based on data. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was fascinating to me. The possibilities were endless, and I knew I had found something special.
After Georgetown, I moved to San Francisco and started working for a company called C3 AI. My job was to help large enterprises—think oil and gas companies and even government agencies—use AI to solve real-world problems. We used AI for predictive maintenance, helping companies predict when something might go wrong with their equipment or pipelines. If you think about disasters like the Deepwater Horizon spill, you understand how much money and damage could be saved by using AI to prevent those kinds of failures.
The Turning Point: GPT-3 and Leaving C3 AI
It wasn’t until GPT-3 came out that my world shifted. GPT-3 was this large language model that could understand human language in ways no AI had before. At the time, it wasn’t perfect—it was good at writing haikus and poems, but most people didn’t think much of it beyond that. But I saw its potential. I realized it could be a game-changer for how we communicate with AI, so I left C3 AI and started my first company, Friday.
Friday was an AI assistant for shopping. You could text it and say, “I want pizza,” or “I need a sweater,” and it would scour the internet to find and buy it for you. It was a cool idea, but I was a solo founder, and the journey was incredibly lonely. I didn’t have mentors or people I could turn to for advice, and that’s when I had a personal breakthrough.
A Personal Revelation: The Birth of Cloning
During that time, I was reading a book about my grandfather, who was a successful businessman in Iran before the Revolution. He had a stroke a couple of years earlier, and I couldn’t talk to him anymore. But I wanted his advice—I craved his wisdom. That’s when the idea hit me: What if I could create a digital clone of him?
At first, it was a basic text-based clone, something simple that could pull from the knowledge I had about him. But it was the start of something big. At the time, creating a full-fledged business out of this idea was too expensive. I put the project aside and focused on Friday. Eventually, that startup was acquired, and I moved to Miami to work at OpenStore. But the idea of cloning stuck with me, and I knew I’d come back to it.
The Rise of Delphi.ai: A Business Born from Clones
In November 2022, I finally took the plunge and co-founded Delphi.ai. I saw the world changing rapidly, especially with the pace at which research papers on AI were being published. I thought, “If I’m going to start a company, I better do it before AI becomes mainstream, or it’ll be much harder to get noticed.” And that’s exactly what happened. We raised money, ChatGPT launched, and suddenly, the world started paying attention to AI in ways I hadn’t seen before.
Delphi.ai took everything I learned from GPT-3 and my earlier experiences and pushed it to the next level. We created a platform where people could upload their content—blogs, social media posts, videos, and even personal notes—and the AI would learn from it. It would create a digital clone that could interact with people just like you would. This clone could talk to people, answer their questions, and even learn from the interactions it had.
Nick D’s Excitement: A Perfect Fit for Martial Arts
When I showed Nick what Delphi.ai could do, his excitement was off the charts. He saw the potential immediately, especially for martial arts instructors and coaches. One of the biggest challenges for instructors is scaling their time and attention. You can only be in one place at one time, and you can only teach so many students in a day. But with a digital clone, that problem disappears.
Imagine you’re a martial arts instructor. You can have your AI clone follow up with students, remind them to come to class, or even give them feedback on their practice. The clone can answer their questions about techniques or even ask them questions to gauge their progress. And the best part? It’s personalized. Your clone speaks just like you do, using your tone, your words, and your style.
Taking Accountability to the Next Level
One of the most exciting features we’re working on is something called proactivity scripts. These allow the clone to follow up with people automatically. So, let’s say you have a student who needs to practice a certain move. You can set the clone to check in with them every morning and remind them to practice. Over time, the clone learns from the student’s responses and adjusts its approach. It’s like having an assistant who’s always there, holding your students accountable.
Nick saw this feature and immediately thought about his Brotherhood program. He imagined sending out automated reminders to his members, asking if they had completed their tasks for the day. It’s like having an employee who does all the follow-up for you, making sure everyone stays on track.
Scaling Your Voice and Your Business
What’s even more powerful is the ability to use the clone for lead generation and customer support. The clone can live on your website, interact with visitors, answer their questions, and even help with sales. You can create different versions of your clone for different tasks. For example, you could have a public-facing clone that handles customer support and a more premium clone that offers personalized mentorship to high-paying clients.
Another exciting feature we’re developing is the ability for the clone to call or message people directly. Imagine your clone calling a student or client and speaking in your voice. It’s not just a text message—it’s your voice, having a real conversation with them. It’s a game-changer for businesses that rely on personal interactions.
The Future of Delphi.ai: What’s Next?
As Delphi.ai continues to grow, we’re adding more features that make the platform even more powerful. One thing people have asked for is the ability to pull data from external sources, like HubSpot or Salesforce. Soon, you’ll be able to set up your clone to pull real-time data, like order status or customer information, and use that in its responses. This opens up even more possibilities for businesses that want to integrate their AI clones into their existing workflows.
For me, the most exciting part of all this is watching how people like Nick use the technology in ways I hadn’t even imagined. We’re constantly learning from our users, adding new features, and refining the product to make it as intuitive and powerful as possible.
The Brotherhood’s Journey with Delphi.ai
By the end of our conversation, Nick was more fired up than ever. He saw how Delphi.ai could revolutionize not just the martial arts industry but coaching, fitness, and any business that relies on personal connections and accountability. With a digital clone, you can scale yourself beyond what was ever possible. You can be in multiple places at once, interacting with clients, students, or customers in a way that feels natural and authentic.
In a world where time is our most valuable resource, Delphi.ai offers a way to expand your reach without sacrificing quality. As we continue to build and improve the platform, I’m excited to see where we go next. Whether it’s in martial arts, coaching, or beyond, the future of AI is here—and it’s only getting better.
Final Thoughts
AI cloning isn’t just some futuristic concept—it’s happening now. And thanks to pioneers like Nick D and Dara Ladjevardian, businesses, coaches, and instructors can start using this technology to scale their operations while keeping that personal touch that’s so important. The future is bright, and we’re just getting started.
Questions & Answers With Dara Ladjevardian
Did ChatGPT really helped Delphi?
Yes, in a way it did. It definitely helped people understand what we were doing. Before ChatGPT, people didn't quite grasp the concept of digital clones or what it meant to build them. ChatGPT did a lot for the branding of AI. Once it came out, people started to realize, "Oh, this is what AI can do." That shift helped make our work at Delphi more understandable and accessible.
If I had my Brotherhood members subscribe to my clone, could it follow up with them every day? Could I ask them if they’ve done their reports?
Yes, that’s exactly the kind of thing you’ll be able to do with our proactivity scripts. In a month, you’ll be able to have the clone automatically follow up with people, ask them specific questions, and keep them accountable. It’ll be like having an employee that’s constantly doing follow-up calls without you needing to be there.
Would it send them a text message or call them, and would it use my voice?
Exactly, you can choose the medium. It could send a text message, an email, or even call them using your voice. So, it’ll be like you’re speaking to them directly, keeping that personal connection intact.
Can this be hooked up to a Facebook page or website so it can talk back to people?
Yes, it can be embedded on your website or used as a chatbot for platforms like Facebook. You can set it up to interact with people in real-time, answer their questions, and even follow up with them later if they don’t return. It’s great for managing customer interactions at different levels of the sales funnel—from initial inquiries to follow-ups.
Does it learn from interactions, or does it rely on a set of rules you input?
The clone doesn’t learn directly from interactions with consumers to avoid altering its behavior in unintended ways. But you can upload data from any source, like blogs or documents, and fine-tune it with custom instructions. You can also review and improve its responses over time to make sure it aligns with what you want.
Where would people call or video call the clone from? Could they do it from their phone?
Right now, it’s done through the Delphi website link or your own website where it’s embedded. People can call or video chat with the clone directly from there, whether it’s from a phone, desktop, or tablet. We’ve integrated it with platforms like Mighty Networks and Kajabi, so it’s very versatile for different use cases.
What do you think about the whole digital clone idea?
Honestly, it’s a bit surreal! When I first built it, I didn’t realize how valuable it would become, but the more I use my clone, the more I see its potential. It’s a tool that grows with you. It’s more than just a chatbot—it captures your unique voice and knowledge, and it continues to evolve based on how you use it.
