# Synthesia creates first interactive digital avatar for journalist using its own models

Digest AI · Agents & Tools · published 2026-09-26T14:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/synthesia-creates-first-interactive-digital-avatar-for-journalist-usin

## Summary

Synthesia, a video-generation startup valued at $4B, built an interactive digital avatar of journalist Alexandru Voica’s likeness. Trained on a specific article about venture fraud, the avatar uses Synthesia’s voice-to-text, language, and text-to-voice models to answer only questions tied to that topic. It took the company two days to create, combining photos, voice recordings, and AI-driven responses.

The avatar’s deterministic nature—it only responds to pre-trained queries—limited its usefulness beyond the chosen article. Friends found the voice and likeness convincing but not perfect, while Voica’s mother called it ‘amazing.’ Synthesia’s platform also offers non-interactive avatars for scripted content and an API for custom builds. The company sees potential in corporate training and media but acknowledges trust remains a barrier in journalism.

## Key points

- Synthesia built an interactive digital avatar of journalist Alexandru Voica trained on one article about venture fraud
- Avatar uses Synthesia’s voice, language, and video models, with a deterministic response system tied to training data
- Creation took two days, but friends and family found the likeness and voice convincing yet imperfect

## Why it matters

This marks a first for interactive digital avatars in journalism, showcasing how AI could automate Q&A for specific topics. However, trust and deterministic limitations may limit broader adoption beyond corporate training or media augmentation.

## Sources

1. [I created an interactive digital avatar of myself — and you can talk to it](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/26/i-created-an-interactive-digital-avatar-of-myself-and-you-can-talk-to-it) (TechCrunch AI, 2026-09-26)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Synthesia creates first interactive digital avatar for journalist using its own models", 26 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/synthesia-creates-first-interactive-digital-avatar-for-journalist-usin

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