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

Summary

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. Image Credits:Tavus 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. Techcrunch event San Francisco | October 13-15, 2026 “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 ab...