Tavus Unveils Griffin AI: Lifelike Video Avatars Spark Fraud Fears and Calls for Regulation
Tavus unveiled Griffin, an AI video avatar tool that realistically substitutes for humans on video calls, prompting lawmakers and safety advocates to demand regulation over fraud risks.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-10-10
- Updated 4:23 PM UTC
Tavus has unveiled an AI video tool called Griffin that generates a lifelike avatar capable of standing in for a person on real-time video calls. The avatar, named Vanessa, blinks, emotes, reacts to interruptions, and drops in conversational fillers like "ums" and "ahs," and the company says internal studies found 48% of participants across 54 calls believed they were talking to a real person. The tool is available only to a small group of early testers, and Tavus has not announced a launch date or regional pricing.
Tavus is pitching Griffin at what it calls "low access or high cost" industries, such as education and healthcare, where a lifelike stand-in avatar could substitute for a scarce or expensive human presence on a call.
The 48% figure has not been independently verified; it comes from Tavus CEO Hassan Raza citing the company's own research.
The release has drawn criticism from lawmakers and AI-safety advocates over its potential use in fraud and impersonation. Sen. Chris Murphy called the tool "frightening." Former Congressman Tom Malinowski went further, saying "It should be illegal" and calling for a ban or strict regulation.
Zohaib Ahmed, CEO of deepfake detection firm Resemble AI, described Griffin as a "huge step up" in realism over prior avatar tools. He also said bad actors seeking to commit fraud will likely turn to cheaper, open-source alternatives rather than Griffin itself.
Raza responded to the criticism by saying Tavus is building safeguards and disclosure systems into the product.
Tavus has given no timeline for a wider release, and the tool remains limited to the early testers currently using it, with no announced plans for availability in the UAE or Saudi Arabia.
Photo by visuals on Unsplash
