The conversation starts with a demo call to an AI version of Arnold Schwarzenegger, showcasing how Delphi's technology can simulate conversations with digital representations of real people
Dara Ladjevardian introduces the idea of "digital minds," AI entities that don’t just mimic voices or language, but aim to capture reasoning, decision-making, and authentic human connection
Ladjevardian frames the shift from traditional info consumption to conversational media, arguing that as AI becomes more common, authentic human energy and connection become highly valued
Digital minds are presented not as replacements for real human interaction, but as a way to make access more convenient and scalable without diminishing real-life connection
Dara's inspiration stemmed from Ray Kurzweil’s book "How to Create a Mind," sparking his interest in AI and digital personas
He recounts his own sense of isolation while building his startup and wishing he could seek advice from his principled grandfather, leading to the creation of a digital version of him for personal mentorship
Initial attempts to scale the technology in 2021 faced pushback due to ethical concerns, high costs, and skepticism, but evolving technology and new experiences reinvigorated the idea
Key realization came when digital minds could be created much more cheaply, making it viable for mass adoption and not just personal use
Deli shifted its approach to only allow authorized, real people to create digital minds after receiving legal challenges for unauthorized representations
Emphasis placed on earning user trust by allowing people to manage their own data, avoid hallucination, and ensuring only the owner can create their digital mind
A strong brand and design focus were deemed necessary for people to trust and associate their identity with the platform
The system is based on the theory that the mind is a hierarchy of pattern recognizers; LLMs (large language models) are used as technological analogs
Deli uses adaptive temporal knowledge graphs to capture not just facts but also context, relationships, beliefs, uncertainty, and the evolution of thinking over time
Users can upload digital content, answer questions, and choose different privacy or predictive settings to control how their digital mind responds to new situations
Strict guardrails are in place for sensitive contexts, ensuring it only says things it's trained on or can responsibly predict
Deli is used as a “horizontal enablement layer”—applicable across numerous domains
Major use cases include adaptive, personalized learning; monetizing access to expertise; 24/7 availability for teams; scaling executive thought and sales processes in organizations; and serving as a filter or personal assistant for networking and outreach
Digital minds facilitate both passive insights (aggregating conversation trends to inform strategy/content) and proactive notifications for key interactions
Examples include internal team coaching, CEO knowledge sharing, and digital minds as gatekeepers for top-of-funnel interactions
Multilingual use and surprising forms of interaction (users often converse in their native language or ask unexpected/personal questions)
Consumers increasingly willing to use digital minds for convenience or to avoid bothering busy individuals
Context awareness is critical—digital minds for different contexts (personal, professional, etc.) may have differing knowledge or exhibit distinct behavior
Several monetization strategies are possible: individuals paying for their own digital mind (similar to paying for a website or blog), selling access as personalized courses/mentorship, licensing identity/keywords for trusted advertising, and advanced digital mind search/simulation services (“simulation as a service”)
Authenticity is key: advertising integration requires explicit consent and trust from the digital mind’s owner
Text and voice are both popular, but initial user retention is much stronger with voice-based interactions due to greater perceived trust
Video has potential if quality standards are met, but imperfections can diminish the experience; imagination fills the gaps with text and voice, making them currently more reliable
Some restrictions are in place: politicians and adult content creators are blocked due to ethical concerns and regulatory risks
Widespread adoption relies on further reducing setup friction and continued culture normalization; branding the product as more human-centric is a goal
Predictions include: consumers will prefer talking to a digital mind before contacting the real person, and the value of genuine human thought and effort will increase in an AI-saturated world
Deli’s vision is to amplify uniquely human qualities—connection, trust, and energy—rather than automating away human value
As information becomes abundant and AI-generated content proliferates, the extra effort and authenticity provided by individuals will become more rewarding
The distinction between consumer and B2B uses will blur over time as individual branding and expertise become central across industries
Ladjevardian finds new consumer AI tools generally underwhelming outside of Deli, but AI helps him understand and adapt to diverse communication styles
He predicts by 2026, most people won’t be able to distinguish if they are talking to a digital mind—but emphasizes Deli’s aim is not to deceive, but to empower human connection and trust