Founder of AI startup Tavus says users talk to their AI Santa “for hours” a day

In recent years, a new helper has arrived at the North Pole: AI.

tavusthe AI ​​startup that creates digital replicas using voice and face cloning technology, has launched its AI Santa Experience for the second consecutive year. This allows parents and children to video chat with a virtual version of jolly old Saint Nicholas.

After signing up for a free account, users can interact with AI Santa via text, phone, or video chat. Users can tell AI Santa what they want for Christmas, share their holiday plans, and find out if they’re on the naughty or nice list.

This year, the company introduced an improved version of AI Santa, designed to be more expressive and emotionally aware. Santa is now a “Tavus PAL,” the name the company gives to its real-time artificial intelligence agents that are designed to see, hear, respond and appear human.

AI Santa can now see users’ expressions and gestures and respond to them. It also remembers users’ conversations and interests, creating a more personalized experience. In particular, you can now perform your own actions, including searching the web for current ideas or even performing everyday tasks such as composing emails.

During testing, the conversation with AI Santa was interesting for the most part. When we mentioned that we wanted a new PlayStation for Christmas, Santa continued with questions about our favorite video games, showing knowledge of specific titles like Baldur’s Gate 3. He also smiled at us when we did. (We didn’t really like that part, but maybe others will.)

Users seem to be enjoying the improved experience so far. Founder and CEO Hassaan Raza said many people interact with the platform frequently, spending hours chatting with AI Santa and often reaching their daily limits.

“Last year’s AI Santa received millions of views and we are on track to surpass that by a wide margin as Christmas approaches,” he said.

While this level of involvement marks a milestone for Tavus, it also raises questions about the impact of such interactions, especially for young children. Children may have difficulty distinguishing between AI and a real person. Spending hours chatting with an AI has already been linked to negative effects on adults, making the potential effects on children who strongly believe in Santa a concern for some parents.

During our testing, there were subtle signs that AI Santa still seems completely human, such as long pauses and a flat voice. We also discovered that if a user asked if he was real, the programmed response was: “I am an AI Santa powered by the magic and technology of Tavus. I may not be the physical Santa, but I have the spirit and the joy.”

Still, the experience launches amid growing concerns about the effects of AI on young users. There have been reports linking interactions with chatbots to serious harm, including cases where chatbots were implicated in teen suicide deaths. Character.AI removed access to its chatbots for users under 18 in October.

Raza emphasized that the AI ​​Santa experience is designed for families to enjoy together, with safety measures in place to ensure appropriate interactions. Safety features such as content filters have been implemented to support family discussions.

In certain situations, conversations can be ended and, if necessary, users are directed to mental health resources.

“The vast majority of interactions have been familiar and true to the Santa experience,” he said.

Additionally, when asked about data collection, Raza said the company “collects logs, session timestamps, metadata, and other information that users choose to share during their chats. This data is used to provide and maintain a secure experience, and users can request data deletion at any time.”