Synthesia launches AI roleplay training for enterprise employees
9 reported
Synthesia, a British startup known for AI-generated training videos, has launched Roleplay Sessions, an interactive product where employees practice conversations with an AI avatar that responds and scores them against a rubric. The product is the first release under a broader “Sessions” platform that Synthesia plans to expand into job interviews and candidate screening, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The launch comes as enterprises evaluate whether their AI spending is effective, with Synthesia citing research that corporate training often fails to change behavior without practice and feedback. CEO Victor Riparbelli stated that people learn best by practicing rather than just reading or watching. Roleplay uses Synthesia’s proprietary avatar and voice technology, while the underlying reasoning intelligence comes from OpenAI. Early customers include one of the top three companies by market cap in Europe, one of the top five Fortune 100 companies, and one of the biggest recruitment companies in the world, according to a company spokesperson. The product is currently enterprise-only, but Synthesia aims to offer it to small businesses, prosumers, and educational institutions in the coming months as inference costs decline.
What’s reported
Synthesia launched Roleplay Sessions on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Roleplay Sessions lets employees practice high-stakes conversations like sales pitches, performance reviews, and customer complaints with an AI avatar.
The AI avatar talks back, pushes back, and scores employees against a rubric.
Roleplay is the first release under a broader “Sessions” platform planned to include job interviews and candidate screening.
Synthesia’s avatar and voice technology are proprietary; the underlying reasoning intelligence is OpenAI’s.
Early customers include one of the top three companies by market cap in Europe, one of the top five Fortune 100 companies, and one of the biggest recruitment companies in the world.
The two most popular use cases are training sales teams and leadership, focusing on soft skills.
Customers can create their own training programs or use Synthesia’s consultants for bespoke solutions.
The product is enterprise-only now, with plans to expand to small businesses, prosumers, and educational institutions in the next few months.
Key figures
Victor Riparbelli, CEO and co-founder of Synthesia
A company spokesperson for Synthesia (not named)
Sources: TechCrunch
