AI avatars are kind of our thing. So we put together a little guide to what they are, what they aren't, and why the difference matters.
What is an AI avatar?
An AI avatar is a digital character powered by artificial intelligence that you can interact with through conversation. Depending on how it is created, an AI avatar can represent a real person or an entirely fictional character, and communicate through text, voice, or video. While AI avatars can be created in many different ways, Persona has built its model around direct collaboration with the real people behind its official avatars. Their knowledge, personality and perspective help shape the experience, while users always know they're interacting with AI – not the person themselves.
Personaland takes a different approach, with original fictional characters created specifically for AI conversations.
How does an AI avatar work?
An AI avatar combines artificial intelligence with a visual identity, voice and defined personality to create an interactive digital character. Unlike a traditional chatbot, the experience isn't limited to typing questions into a text box. Depending on the technology, you can type, talk or have a video conversation with an AI avatar.
At Persona, an AI avatar is designed to be more than a one-off interaction.
It can remember previous conversations, allowing you to return and continue where you left off. You can communicate through text, voice or video, in over 100 languages. Each avatar has its own knowledge, personality and way of communicating. For official AI avatars, these are shaped together with the real person behind the avatar. For Personaland characters, they are built around the character's unique personality, story and purpose.
What can you do with an AI avatar?
You can ask an athlete about training, get dinner inspiration from a chef, discuss business with an entrepreneur, ask a political candidate about their policies or let a study buddy quiz you before an exam. Or you can simply have a conversation with an original character from Personaland. AI avatars turn information into conversation.
Real-person vs. fictional AI avatars
Official AI avatars represent real people and are created together with them. Their expertise, experiences, personality and perspective help shape how the avatar communicates. Fictional AI avatars are original characters created specifically for AI interaction. They can have their own personalities, stories, expertise and worlds without representing an existing person.
Persona brings both together in one place. As we say: One app. Two worlds.
Why consent matters
When an AI avatar represents a real person, how that avatar was created matters. Persona's official AI avatars are developed in collaboration with the people they represent. We don't believe someone's identity should simply be turned into an AI experience without their involvement.
Users should also always understand when they're interacting with AI rather than the real person.
AI avatars: the questions everyone asks
No. AI avatars are digital characters powered by artificial intelligence. Some represent real people, while others are entirely fictional. When an AI avatar represents a real person, it's important that users understand they are interacting with AI, not directly with that person.
No. A deepfake typically uses AI to imitate a real person in synthetic video, images or audio, often with the goal of appearing real. An AI avatar is an interactive digital character designed for communication. At Persona, official AI avatars are created with the knowledge, consent and active involvement of the people they represent, and we make it clear that users are interacting with AI.
Not quite. Both use conversational AI, but an AI avatar adds a visual identity, personality, voice and other characteristics to the experience. Depending on the platform, interaction can happen through text, voice or video rather than only a traditional chat interface.
Some can. This depends on how the AI avatar and platform are built. Persona avatars can remember previous conversations, allowing you to return later and continue without always starting from the beginning.
Yes. AI avatars can be designed to communicate in multiple languages. Persona supports conversations in more than 100 languages, allowing the same avatar to interact with people around the world.
Absolutely. An AI avatar doesn't have to represent an existing person. It can be an entirely original character with its own personality, background and purpose. Personaland, for example, is a world of fictional AI characters created specifically for conversation.
The technology can make it possible to imitate someone's appearance, voice or identity, but that doesn't mean it should be done without their permission. Consent, identity rights and transparency are important when an AI avatar represents a real person. Persona's official AI avatars are created in collaboration with the people they represent: “Built with them, not from them.”
AI avatars can provide useful, entertaining and engaging conversations, but they are still AI systems and should be used with that understanding. Safety depends on how the platform is designed, including its safeguards, privacy practices, transparency and how the AI is trained and managed. AI avatars should not be treated as a substitute for qualified professional advice in areas such as healthcare, legal matters or emergencies.
No. Your AI avatar does not automatically have access to your email, social media accounts or other personal systems. It operates within the Persona environment and only has access to the information and capabilities specifically provided to it.
AI-generated conversations are not pre-written, so no AI system can guarantee every response word for word. Persona avatars are built around the knowledge, views, communication style and boundaries defined together with the person they represent. We also use safeguards designed to keep conversations within those boundaries. Importantly, the avatar is always presented as AI – not as the real person speaking directly.
No. An AI avatar is not authorized to act as your spokesperson or issue official statements on your behalf. A conversation with an AI avatar should not be interpreted as a direct quote, interview or official statement from the person it represents. Media enquiries and official comments should always go through the appropriate human channels.
User privacy should be treated separately from the personality represented by an avatar. Conversations and personal data are handled according to Persona's privacy practices and applicable data-protection requirements. Users should also avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive personal information with any AI service.
Ready to meet an AI avatar?
Discover official AI avatars created with real people and original characters from Personaland.
