Cloned owner or AI actor: which one for which client
An AI Reel can star one of two people: your client's owner, cloned from a few photos and one minute of their voice, or a stock AI actor. Both sell. They just don't fit the same client.
The cloned owner: when people buy from a person
The baker, the stylist, the real estate agent, the coach, the contractor: their customers know them. Their face is their brand. A replica lets them show up every week without filming.
It works best for short, recurring updates:
- today's special, a last-minute opening, new arrivals;
- hours, closures, what's new;
- the answer to the question they get asked all the time.
What you need before you start:
- a few well-lit, front-facing photos and one minute of their voice, recorded on a phone;
- a signed release: term, permitted uses, revocable anytime, data deleted at the end;
- approval of every script by the person, before anything is posted.
Disclosure is a must: YouTube requires it for a cloned real person even with their consent, Meta and TikTok require their AI label for realistic content, and a client who also targets the EU falls under the AI Act (the rules in detail).
The AI actor: when the message matters more than the messenger
Kelpo has a catalog of stock AI actors, English- and French-speaking, who don't look like any real person. They're the right call when:
- the client doesn't want to be on camera, or doesn't have time to sign a release and record their voice;
- you need to test hooks: three versions of the same ad, same actress, three different opening lines;
- it's an e-commerce ad, where the product is the star;
- you need to start today: no likeness release to sign.
One limit, and only one: the actor presents the offer and never poses as a happy customer. The FTC bans fake testimonials, AI-generated ones included. In ads seen in New York, a stock AI actor must also be disclosed as a synthetic performer.
At a glance
| Cloned owner | AI actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Local businesses, trades where people know the owner | E-commerce, ads, hook testing |
| Before you start | Photos, one minute of voice, signed release | Nothing |
| Approval | Every script, by the person | By your client, like any content |
| AI disclosure | Required | Required in New York ads, expected by the platforms |
| Fake testimonial | Never | Never |
The simplest approach
- Start with the actor. Make a sample Reel where a stock AI actor announces your client's current offer. They see the quality without sending you anything.
- Then pitch the replica. "Same video, with you in it." Attach the release for them to look over.
- Mix both. The owner for messages that need their trust, the actor for ads and tests.
If they'd rather stick with the actor, that's fine: nothing for them to sign, and you deliver this week.
"What if someone steals my voice?"
The owner will probably ask. The answer is in the release: their accounts only, for a set term, revocable with one email, with their photos, voice recording and replica model deleted at the end. Their files stay in their business's own workspace. And to be honest: anyone can already screen-record their public videos today.
When to pass
- Anyone under 18: never, cloned or portrayed.
- An employee rather than the owner: their consent has to be truly voluntary, separate from their job, and revocable with no consequences. Have counsel review this case.
- Health: no promised results, whoever is on screen.
Sell either one
The price doesn't change: an AI Reel bills the same whether the owner or an actor is on screen. Costs and margins: how to sell AI Reels to your clients. Ideas by industry: 30 AI Reel ideas.