Synthesia launches AI Roleplay Sessions for live workplace coaching

In short: Synthesia has launched Roleplay Sessions, a new product that lets employees practice real work conversations with an AI avatar that responds and gives feedback.

What happened

Synthesia, a UK company known for making AI training videos, is expanding into more interactive training. Its new product is called Roleplay Sessions.

With Roleplay Sessions, employees can rehearse high stakes conversations like sales pitches, performance reviews, and handling customer complaints. The AI avatar talks back and can push back, more like a practice partner than a video lesson.

After the roleplay, the system scores the employee using a rubric, which is a checklist of what “good” looks like. It also provides feedback and company level reports, so managers can see patterns across a team.

Synthesia says this approach is based on research showing that people often learn better by practicing, not just watching or reading. CEO Victor Riparbelli told TechCrunch that video can be better than text, but practice with feedback is usually the best way to build skills.

Synthesia says it already has early customers rolling it out at large companies, including a top three European company by market value, a top five Fortune 100 company, and a major recruitment firm.

Why it matters

Many companies spend money on training but struggle to tell if it changed anyone’s behavior. Tools like this aim to measure progress more directly, like a driving lesson where you actually get behind the wheel and then get a scorecard afterward.

Source: TechCrunch AI