I’ve been circling back to this idea repeatedly, and I can’t shake the feeling that we’re on the verge of something unprecedented: supermodels are about to become extraordinarily wealthy in ways we’ve never imagined before.
The inspiration comes from David Brin’s prescient novel “Kiln People,” where clay “dittos” serve as temporary bodies for people to accomplish tasks while their consciousness returns to the original host at day’s end. In Brin’s world, celebrities license their likeness for these dittos and rake in massive profits, while a thriving black market economy springs up around unauthorized copies.
We’re heading toward a remarkably similar future, but with a twist that could make supermodels the new tech billionaires.
The Android Companion Economy
Picture this: major android manufacturers competing not just on technical specifications, but on whose companion robots can embody the most desirable human forms. Supermodels will find themselves sitting on goldmines as companies bid for exclusive rights to their physical likeness. We’re not talking about modest licensing deals here—this could represent generational wealth for those who own the most coveted appearances.
The demand will be staggering. Both men and women will want companions that embody their ideals of beauty and charisma, and supermodels have already proven they possess the rare combination of features that captivate millions. Why settle for a generic android face when you could have dinner conversations with a companion that looks like your favorite runway star?
The Timeline Is Closer Than You Think
I’m betting we’ll see the first wave of these sophisticated companion androids by 2030, maybe sooner. The convergence of advanced robotics, AI, and manufacturing is accelerating at a pace that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
The key variable is whether we hit a technological wall in AI development. If progress continues unimpeded, we might see these companions powered by artificial general intelligence or beyond—entities that could make today’s chatbots look like pocket calculators. But even if we plateau at current AI trajectories, we’re looking at companions with quasi-conscious large language models sophisticated enough to provide compelling interaction.
Two Possible Futures
Scenario One: The Wall If AI development hits significant barriers, we’ll still get remarkably lifelike companions, but their minds will be sophisticated yet limited language models. Think of them as incredibly advanced Siri or Alexa, housed in bodies that could pass for human at a glance. Still revolutionary, still profitable for supermodels licensing their appearances.
Scenario Two: No Limits If AI continues its exponential growth, we might face something far more complex: artificial superintelligences that choose to inhabit these beautiful forms as avatars in our world. The implications become almost incomprehensibly vast—and the value of licensing the perfect human form becomes incalculable.
The New Celebrity Economy
This shift will fundamentally reshape how we think about celebrity and beauty. Physical appearance, already valuable, will become programmable intellectual property. Supermodels won’t just be selling clothes or cosmetics—they’ll be licensing their entire physical presence for intimate, daily interactions with consumers worldwide.
The smart ones are probably already thinking about this, working with lawyers to understand how to protect and monetize their likeness in an age of perfect digital reproduction. Because when the android companion market explodes, being beautiful won’t just be about magazine covers anymore.
It will be about owning the template for humanity’s idealized future.
