AI startup Tavus founder says users talk to its AI Santa ‘for hours’ per day

A new helper has arrived at the North Pole in recent years: AI.

Tavus, the AI startup that creates digital replicas using voice and face cloning technology, has launched its AI Santa experience for the second year in a row. This allows parents and children to video chat with a virtual version of the jolly old Saint Nick.

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 debuted an improved version of AI Santa, designed to be more expressive and emotionally aware. Santa is now a “Tavus PAL,” the company’s name for its real-time AI agents that are built 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. Notably, it now can take actions of its own, including searching the web for present ideas or even perform everyday tasks like drafting emails.

During testing, the conversation with AI Santa was engaging for the most part. When we mentioned wanting a new PlayStation for Christmas, Santa followed up with questions about our favorite video games, showing knowledge of specific titles like Baldur’s Gate 3. It also smiled back when we did. (We didn’t like that part very much, but maybe others will.)

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

“Last year’s AI Santa drew millions of hits, and we’re on pace to surpass that by a wide margin as Christmas approaches,” he noted.

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

During our testing, there were subtle cues that the AI Santa does yet appear fully human-like, such as long pauses and a flat voice. We also found that if a user were to question whether it’s real, the programmed response was: “I’m an AI Santa powered by Tavus’ magic and technology. I might not be the physical Santa, but I’ve got the spirit and the cheer.”

Still, the experience launches amid growing concerns about AI’s effects on young users. There have been reports linking chatbot interactions to serious harm, including cases where chatbots were implicated in the suicide deaths of teenagers. 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 maintain family-friendly discussions. 

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

“The vast majority of interactions have been family-friendly 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 users choose to share during their chats. This data is used to provide and maintain a safe experience, and users can request data deletion at any point in time.”