How One Man’s Journey Sparked a Bespoke AI Persona Business – Interview With Dilan Abeya
- May 9, 2025
- 4 min read
Featured in Entrepreneur and Forbes, and with a career spanning investment banking in London and New York, this multi-hyphenate founder is now disrupting the way we experience coaching with AI. Meet the creator of bespoke AI personas and the mind behind “AI DILAN.”
Dilan Abeya, Founder
Tell us how your business started. It wasn’t always about AI personas, was it?
Not at all. It began with something far more personal. I started on social media, just me, sharing my journey. Through photography, videography, and writing, I documented my own trials and tribulations. I was doing it creatively and authentically, hoping that what helped me might help someone else. It was never about chasing a brand. It was about helping people see possibility in pain.
And then you trained as a life coach?
Yes. After leaving one company and before joining another, I took a pause. I studied at the Jay Shetty Certification School and became a certified life coach. That process deepened everything I’d already been practicing and sharing. But the challenge was: how could I scale this? One-on-one coaching is powerful, but it’s limited by time. That’s when I had the idea to build a digital version of myself, AI DILAN.
AI DILAN became the start of something bigger. Tell us more.
I spent a year building it, I had no idea what I was doing (!), but I knew what my end goal was - and that was an AI version of myself. So, I set out sourcing technology people who could teach and help me to train generative AI with my tone, my mindset tools, my values and more. I wanted it to feel like a 24/7 version of what I would say if I were sitting with someone during their moment of need. It wasn’t just automation. It was self-care personalised by me, made scalable. When I launched it, I realized I had a product but no business model. So, I joined a UK-based entrepreneurial group called Big Business Entrepreneurs to learn how to build one.
What did they think of what you’d created?
They were shocked in a good way. They couldn’t believe I’d created an AI of myself. They encouraged me to pivot: instead of just offering AI DILAN, why not create bespoke AI personas for others? That was the lightbulb moment. I realized I had built a blueprint. Now, I help coaches, creators, founders, and professionals do what I did: scale their knowledge, message, and mindset through personalized AI personas.
It’s a very powerful modern solution. Are you concerned about the AI backlash in the media?
Honestly? No. There’s a line I love to respond with, “AI won’t replace humans. But humans who use AI will replace humans who don’t.” I truly believe that. In today’s tech landscape, AI isn’t the threat people have been scare-mongered into fearing; it’s a tool. When used well, it enhances productivity, speeds up decision-making, and helps generate insights faster than we could on our own.
That doesn’t make creativity, emotional intelligence, or critical thinking obsolete; it makes them more valuable. When paired with AI, your human edge becomes your superpower. The key is learning to train AI in a way that’s bespoke to you or your business. That’s what I do for my clients and what I did for myself.
And you backed it up with training, too?
Yes, I earned the globally recognized Artificial Intelligence Certification (AIC™) from BrainStation. Their hands-on training with AI experts from some of the world’s top tech companies helped solidify my skills. Huge thanks to their team for their expert guidance and structured approach. It was important to me that I wasn’t just using AI, but understanding it at a deeper level, taught by people from big tech.
Let’s circle back, you’ve also gone through a powerful personal transformation.
Yes, I went from “fat to fit,” losing 27kg (around 60 pounds) during one of the lowest points of my life. After a difficult breakup, I could’ve spiralled, but I chose to redirect that energy. I rebuilt myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. And I still work on it. Everyday. I share that because I know others are navigating similar struggles. That journey is part of what I bring to my coaching and why AI DILAN resonates. It’s not just tech, it’s lived experience, translated into support.
You also represent brands as an ambassador. How does that align?
I only work with brands that authentically align with my values and journey. For me, integrity matters more than exposure. If I believe in something and it helped me, I’m happy to share it. Brand partnerships are just another way to reach people with tools and messages that make a difference.
You’ve had quite the journey, born on a London council estate, educated across three continents, and now building in tech. How does that all come together?
I think it gives me a unique perspective, and I’m grateful to my parents for giving me opportunities that they never had; without them, I’d be nothing and nowhere. I’ve lived on both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. I’ve worked in investment banking in London and New York, studied Japanese and Economics across Japan, the UK, and the US, and grown up in a Sri Lankan household on welfare at one point. All of that helps me connect with people from different walks of life. Whether I’m building AI, coaching, or creating content, I always lead with empathy and impact.
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