Dominic-Madori Davis, a senior reporter at TechCrunch, recently experienced the creation of her own interactive digital avatar through Synthesia, a fast-growing video-generation startup valued at $4 billion in 2026. Synthesia offers AI-powered avatars for enterprise use, including interactive training tools like Roleplay Sessions. After visiting their new New York office, Davis agreed to have an avatar made, which took only a few days to develop, incorporating her photos, voice samples, and training on a specific article she wrote about the higher fraud rates among venture-backed startups.

Synthesia's technology combines voice-to-text, language processing, text-to-voice, and video animation models to create avatars that can speak and respond in interactive ways. Davis’ digital twin is deterministic, meaning it only answers questions related to the venture fraud story it was trained on, redirecting unrelated inquiries back to that topic. While her personal avatars provided realistic voice and appearance likenesses, the interactive avatar’s voice was less convincing, though it was still described as "creepy" in a fascinating way by friends and family, showcasing both the novelty and discomfort such AI clones can evoke.

Davis reflects deeply on the implications of AI avatars in journalism, questioning whether audiences would accept news delivered by digital versions of human reporters. Although some industry insiders express skepticism and concerns, the potential for avatars to augment or replace certain functions remains a topic of debate. For Davis, trust and human connection remain essential elements of journalism that may not be easily replaced by AI, even as the technology advances.

Outside the newsroom, digital avatars could offer practical value by representing individuals when they are unavailable, such as during vacations, handling routine inquiries or tasks. Yet, Davis acknowledges mixed feelings about her own digital clone, especially with the limitations of current deterministic models that lack spontaneity or emotional engagement. The experience highlights how digital twins feel futuristic and sometimes eerie, but they could become a fixture in corporate and social spheres as the technology evolves.