Nabil Bukhari, the Seattle-based president of AI platforms and CTO at Extreme Networks, has successfully implemented an AI clone of himself to handle routine business reviews and meetings, freeing up significant time for both strategic work and family life. What started as a joke among his team about being “in more than one place at the same time” became a reality seven to eight months ago when Bukhari’s company trained an AI agent on his communication patterns, including internal and external writing samples, transcripts, social media posts, speaking engagements, and press interviews.
The AI agent now handles approximately 80% of project and program reviews that previously required Bukhari’s direct involvement. The system analyzes reports, asks questions, and provides feedback in a manner that closely mimics Bukhari’s own approach. Initially, there was about 50% overlap between the questions the AI asked and those Bukhari would have posed, but that figure has now increased to 85-90% through continuous evaluation, retraining, and feedback from team members.
The implementation has expanded beyond initial project updates to include program updates, business plan reviews, and product specifications. However, Bukhari emphasizes the importance of keeping humans in the loop, particularly for critical decisions above certain thresholds, which he personally reviews. The approach reflects a “humans plus AI” philosophy rather than “humans versus AI.”
The personal impact has been substantial. Bukhari, who has a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old, now drops his children off at school 10 to 15 times a month, compared to just once or twice previously. This morning routine has improved his mood and effectiveness throughout the workday. Beyond personal benefits, the initiative has created space for intentional thinking across the organization, reducing task churn and allowing teams to focus on more meaningful, strategic work. Bukhari reports that employees are “happier, more curious, and more innovative,” with reduced organizational noise levels. The goal, he emphasizes, isn’t to replace humans or simply cut costs, but to extend workforce capability and effectiveness while improving work-life balance.
Key Quotes
It’s kind of scary sometimes, reading it, because it says exactly what I would have asked.
Nabil Bukhari describes his reaction to seeing his AI clone in action during project reviews. This quote illustrates how accurately the AI has learned to replicate his decision-making patterns and questioning style, demonstrating the sophistication of current AI training capabilities.
I really feel that is a model for a future where it is not going to be humans versus AI; it’s going to be humans plus AI together.
Bukhari articulates his vision for AI integration in the workplace, emphasizing collaboration rather than competition between humans and AI. This perspective is significant as it frames AI as a tool for augmentation rather than replacement, addressing common fears about AI’s impact on employment.
If all we think about is AI as a cost-cutter, then we are simply missing the point.
The CTO challenges the prevailing business narrative around AI implementation, arguing that the technology’s true value lies in extending human capability and improving quality of life rather than merely reducing expenses. This represents a more holistic approach to AI adoption that considers employee wellbeing alongside business efficiency.
We need to give humans time to be more human. The more human part is bringing that gut feel to thinking about things — and that’s the part AI isn’t that good at right now.
Bukhari identifies the fundamental distinction between AI capabilities and human strengths, emphasizing intuition and creative thinking as uniquely human contributions. This insight guides his implementation strategy of using AI to handle routine tasks while preserving human capacity for higher-order thinking.
Our Take
Bukhari’s AI clone experiment offers a refreshing counternarrative to dystopian AI replacement scenarios. What’s particularly noteworthy is the iterative improvement approach—moving from 50% to 85-90% accuracy through continuous feedback—which demonstrates that successful AI implementation requires ongoing refinement rather than one-time deployment. The emphasis on maintaining human oversight for critical decisions provides a practical risk management framework that other organizations can adopt. The personal dimension is equally important: by quantifying the impact on family time (10-15 school drop-offs versus 1-2), Bukhari makes the benefits tangible and relatable. This case study suggests that AI’s greatest near-term value may lie not in replacing workers but in eliminating the administrative burden that prevents knowledge workers from doing their best thinking. The reported improvements in employee happiness and innovation indicate that when AI reduces task churn, it creates psychological space for creativity—a benefit that’s harder to measure but potentially more valuable than pure efficiency gains.
Why This Matters
This story represents a practical, real-world application of AI that goes beyond theoretical discussions about automation and workforce displacement. Bukhari’s implementation demonstrates how AI can augment executive leadership rather than replace it, addressing one of the most pressing challenges in modern business: time management and work-life balance for senior leaders. The 85-90% accuracy rate achieved by the AI clone shows that current AI technology has matured to a point where it can effectively handle structured decision-making processes, while the emphasis on human oversight for critical decisions provides a pragmatic framework for AI adoption. This approach could serve as a blueprint for other organizations struggling with meeting overload and executive bandwidth constraints. The positive impact on employee satisfaction and innovation challenges the narrative that AI implementation primarily serves cost-cutting purposes. Instead, it illustrates how AI can create space for higher-value human activities like strategic thinking and creativity. The personal dimension—more time with family—adds a compelling human element that may help overcome resistance to AI adoption in corporate settings.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/cto-built-ai-clone-more-time-for-kids-2026-2