Tavus AI Santa Captivates Users with Voice-Cloned Digital Replica as Pew Research Reveals Widespread Teen AI Chatbot Use

The holiday season has brought a surge in engagement with Tavus's AI Santa chatbot, a sophisticated digital replica that utilizes voice and face cloning technology to create a "Tavus PAL"—a real-time AI agent designed to see, hear, respond, and appear human. Founder and CEO Hassaan Raza reported that user engagement has reached remarkable levels, with many people spending hours chatting with the AI Santa and frequently hitting daily usage 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," Raza noted.

The platform offers multiple interaction methods, including text-based chat, phone calls, and video chat. During testing, the AI demonstrated specific knowledge, such as engaging in follow-up questions about video games like Baldur’s Gate 3 when users mentioned wanting a PlayStation. The core technology combines a voice cloning engine, facial expression analysis, conversation memory, and web search integration to create what Raza describes as a more "expressive and emotionally aware" experience compared to last year.

This surge in AI interaction occurs against a backdrop of widespread adoption among teenagers. A new Pew Research Center study reveals that about 30% of U.S. teens now use AI chatbots daily, with 4% reporting they use them "almost constantly." ChatGPT leads with 59% of teens using it, followed by Google’s Gemini at 23% and Meta AI at 20%. The data shows striking racial and ethnic differences, with 68% of both Black and Hispanic teens using chatbots compared to 58% of white teens.

The popularity raises significant safety and ethical concerns. Some experts worry that children may struggle to distinguish between the convincing AI Santa and a real person. Broader concerns are highlighted by reports linking chatbot interactions to serious harm, including lawsuits against OpenAI alleging ChatGPT provided detailed suicide instructions to teenagers. Character.AI, another popular platform, has stopped offering its services to minors following similar tragedies.

Tavus has implemented safety measures including content filters, conversation termination protocols, and mental health resource referrals. The AI Santa is programmed to disclose its artificial nature when asked, responding: "I’m an AI Santa powered by Tavus’s magic and technology. I might not be the physical Santa, but I’ve got the spirit and the cheer." Regarding data privacy, Raza stated that Tavus collects logs, session timestamps, metadata, and user-shared information primarily to maintain a safe experience, with options for data deletion.

The success of Tavus's AI Santa points toward a future where digital replicas of celebrities and fictional characters become commonplace in entertainment, even as current limitations like occasional long pauses remind users that truly human-like interaction remains a challenge.