Inputs Only - Newsletter | Kevin Wathey

Kevin 2.0: How I Used AI To Clone Myself

Written by Kevin Wathey | February 3, 2024

There comes a point where the rate of technological advancement surpasses what we've seen in the past.
An exponential curve generated by those who came before... for those they will never know.

Whether they realize it or not, innovation paves the way for future exploration by creating the required infrastructure. 

I recently listened to the Lex Fridman Podcast with Jeff Bezos, where he shared about his focus with Blue Origin:

"When I started Amazon, I didn’t have to develop a payment system. It already existed. It was called the credit card. I didn’t have to develop a transportation system to deliver the packages. It already existed. It was called the Postal Service and Royal Mail and Deutsche Post and so on.

So all this heavy lifting infrastructure was already in place and I could stand on its shoulders.

And so the problem you see, if you look at the dynamism in the internet space over the last 20 years, it’s because you see two kids in a dorm room could start an internet company that could be successful and do amazing things because they didn’t have to build heavy infrastructure.

It was already there. And that’s what I want to do.

I take my Amazon winnings and use that to build heavy infrastructure so that the next generation, the generation that’s my children and their children, those generations can then use that heavy infrastructure, then there’ll be space entrepreneurs who start in their dorm room.

That will be a marker of success when you can have a really valuable space company started in a dorm room, then we know that we’ve built enough infrastructure so that ingenuity and imagination can really be unleashed. I find that very exciting.

Similarly, the infrastructure now exists to be everywhere, all at once... without actually being there - with AI.

The friction for creation continues to decrease dramatically...
... leaving any aspiring creator no excuse as to why they aren't showing up in the capacity they desire.

Long-form content can be chopped with Opus.AI, podcasts can be edited in a fraction of the time with AutoPod.AI, an AI clone can be made in minutes with HeyGen.com, and you can clone your voice with ElevenLabs.io .

Here's how easy it was to clone myself:

  1. Head on over to HeyGen.com and signup for a free account.

  2. Record 2 - 3 minutes of yourself talking directly to camera.
    - Keep hand gestures to a minimum and close your mouth after each sentence.
    - Higher the quality camera, better the video (obvi) - *Up to 4k
    - Don't worry about audio, you will connect via ElevenLabs
    - Here are the 2 videos I used to submit: Landscape :|: Vertical

  3. HeyGen will prompt you to record a 20s likeness release.
    - Once complete, give it a few minutes and you're ready to rock!
    *You can repeat this process, for free, until you get a clone you vibe with.

Once you have your clone, there are a few ways in which you can create content with your v2.0.

First, you can upload a script directly into HeyGen, but unless you're subscribed to VoiceClone, which requires Finetune (which I haven't tested yet), it wont be as good because the audio is coming from your camera (not a mic).

The better way would be to clone your voice with ElevenLabs.

To do so, repeat the steps above on their platform, except this time with audio through a good microphone.
If you don't have one, use wired headphones for the best quality. *It recommends 30 minutes min. but up to 3 hrs.

I recorded 6 x 30 minute segments of me speaking in different ways. (Narration, Presenting, Phone Calls, etc)

Once complete, you'll be able to upload scripts and export them as a .wav file that can be dropped in HeyGen.

It's remarkable what we're able to create, and it's only getting better.
If you have any tips, tricks, and/or experience... I'd love to hear from you, too!

Oh, by the way... if you've made it this far, here is a quick video I recorded for you!

 

 

Quote On My Mind:

"Talent will take you to your threshold,
character is what allows you to break through."

﹣Adam Grant

It's assumed success comes from innate ability...
... yet it's the learned traits that take us all the way.
 

 

 

In Case You Missed It:

In last weeks edition, I wrote about how I view problems within entrepreneurship.

It's a topic that came up in a talk I did for a friends company last week...
... in which I shared I don't believe there are right or wrong decisions.

It's short and sweet, but will make you think.

Tap here to read the full article.