Journalist creates interactive digital twin using AI avatar technology
Synthesia's new avatar platform raises questions about the future of media and corporate communications
1PR meets AI avatars
Synthesia, a $4 billion digital avatar startup, created an interactive PR avatar for its head of corporate affairs that answers press questions. The company then extended this technology to create a journalist's avatar - the first time it's done so for media professionals. The avatar is trained specifically on one investigative story about venture capital fraud, demonstrating focused application of generative AI in corporate communications.
2Avatar creation process
Creating the digital twin required a photo session in Synthesia's studio, voice recording, and explicit consent. The company produced multiple avatar versions - both static and interactive, with and without glasses. The interactive version combines voice-to-text, language models, text-to-voice, and video animation technologies. Synthesia offers flexibility in model selection, allowing customers to mix components from different AI labs like Google or OpenAI.
3Three product lines
Synthesia offers three main products: a basic video creation platform with scripted avatars, an interactive Sessions platform for roleplay scenarios like sales training, and an API service for custom integrations. The company reached $100M ARR last year, indicating strong enterprise demand for AI-powered video solutions. Their technology stack demonstrates how multiple AI models can combine to create more sophisticated digital human interactions.
4Journalism implications
The experience raised fundamental questions about AI's role in journalism. While some investors reject the idea of avatar journalists outright, others see potential augmentation. The journalist-author notes that trust remains journalism's core value - potentially incompatible with AI replication. However, the deterministic nature of current avatars (limited to trained responses) creates clear boundaries versus human reporting.
5Corporate applications
Beyond PR, Synthesia focuses on enterprise training applications. Their Roleplay Sessions product lets employees practice skills like sales pitches with responsive AI avatars that provide feedback. This demonstrates how generative AI moves beyond content creation into interactive coaching scenarios. The technology could transform corporate learning while raising questions about human connection in professional development.
6Technical limitations
While the personal avatar could read any script, the interactive version remained strictly confined to its trained topic (venture fraud). Testers noted voice and likeness imperfections compared to the simpler avatar. The deterministic nature prevents unexpected responses - a deliberate safety choice that contrasts with more open-ended chatbots. This shows current tradeoffs between control and flexibility in digital human technology.
7Psychological impact
Interacting with one's digital twin produced mixed feelings, ranging from amazement to unease. The journalist describes waiting for the avatar to exhibit spontaneous behaviors like blinking - highlighting the uncanny valley effect. She speculates about potential psychological impacts if avatars became more nondeterministic, suggesting current limitations may actually prevent more disturbing human-AI interactions.
8Generational adoption
The author predicts Gen Z may resist adopting digital twins despite the technology's advancement, finding them too sci-fi. However, she considers avatars less unsettling than humanoid robots, noting the ability to simply log off from digital interactions. This perspective suggests avatar adoption may follow generational patterns similar to other technologies, with workplace applications leading consumer acceptance.