Synthesia shifts focus from AI video generation to live performance coaching

The new product allows staff to practice difficult scenarios, including sales pitches, performance reviews, and customer complaints. Unlike static training videos, these AI avatars talk back and push back, creating a dynamic environment that mimics real-world challenges. Synthesia plans to expand this framework to include job interviews and candidate screening in the near future.

This pivot marks a strategic transition for the company. While the startup previously focused on content generation, it is now positioning itself as a performance-management platform. By layering proprietary rubric and analytics software over OpenAI’s reasoning models, Synthesia provides managers with granular data on how their teams perform under pressure. CEO Victor Riparbelli notes that companies are moving past the novelty of AI demos, prioritizing tools that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Early adoption is already underway, with major global corporations—including one of Europe’s top three companies by market cap and a top Fortune 100 firm—currently testing the system. While the offering is currently limited to enterprise clients, Synthesia intends to lower costs and broaden access to smaller businesses and educational institutions as inference technology matures.