Tavus Overview
Tavus is a San Francisco-based AI research lab pioneering Human Computing — teaching machines the art of being human.
Mission
"Automation has scaled efficiency but stripped away empathy, nuance, and presence from digital interactions."
Tavus exists to close the gap between humans and machines by creating AI that can see, hear, understand, and respond with emotional intelligence in real time. Not chatbots with faces — authentic, face-to-face digital presence.
What is Human Computing?
Human Computing is a paradigm shift: computing that adapts to humans, not the other way around.
Core principles:
- Human UI: Interact with AI as naturally as talking to another person — no commands, no learning curve
- Presence over automation: AI that feels like *someone*, not *something*
- Emotional intelligence: Reading tone, expressions, context — not just words
The Conversational Video Interface (CVI)
CVI is Tavus's flagship product — an API-first platform for real-time, face-to-face AI conversations.
What makes CVI different from chatbots/avatars:
- Real-time interactive conversation (not pre-rendered video)
- ~600ms latency utterance-to-utterance
- Reads facial expressions, interprets tone, adapts in real-time
- Full orchestration: function calling, RAG, memories
- White-labeled, embeddable, enterprise-ready
CVI Components:
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| Replica | The visual avatar — your AI's face and appearance |
| Persona | Behavior, personality, LLM config, system prompt |
| Conversation | A live WebRTC session connecting replica + persona |
The Model Stack
Tavus builds proprietary models that work together to create human presence:
Phoenix-4 (Rendering)
Gaussian-diffusion model for photorealistic face rendering. Synthesizes high-fidelity facial behavior with:
- Micro-expressions and subtle movements
- Full-face animation (not just lips)
- Real-time emotional response
- Identity preservation
Raven-1 (Perception)
Multimodal perception model that lets AI "see":
- Reads facial expressions and body language
- Detects emotions and intent
- Analyzes environment and screen content
- Contextual awareness
Sparrow-1 (Turn-Taking)
Transformer-based dialogue model for natural conversation flow:
- Knows when to listen, pause, or speak
- ~600ms response latency
- Handles interruptions naturally
- Multilingual support
Products
Conversational Video Interface (CVI)
API-first platform for developers to embed real-time AI video conversations.
- Full pipeline: perception → STT → LLM → TTS → rendering
- Customizable layers (bring your own LLM/TTS)
- Knowledge base (RAG) and memories
- Function calling for external integrations
Video Generation API
Async video generation from scripts or audio.
- Personalized videos at scale
- Custom backgrounds and watermarks
- Transparent background support
Replica API
Create digital twins from 2 minutes of training video.
- Studio-grade fidelity
- Stock replicas available
- Identity preservation
PALs (Personal AI Lifeforms)
Consumer-facing AI companions that remember, evolve, and connect.
- Text, call, or video chat
- Persistent memory
- Proactive check-ins
Use Cases
- Sales & Recruiting: AI SDRs, interviewers, qualification flows
- Education: Tutors, trainers, onboarding
- Healthcare: Patient companions, training simulations
- Customer Support: 24/7 face-to-face assistance
- Personal: Companions, coaches, productivity assistants
Key Stats
- 2B+ interactions powered
- ~600ms utterance-to-utterance latency
- 30+ languages supported
- SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA compliant (enterprise)
Links
Platform & Docs
- Homepage: https://www.tavus.io
- Developer Portal: https://platform.tavus.io
- Documentation: https://docs.tavus.io
- API Reference: https://docs.tavus.io/api-reference/overview
- CVI Overview: https://docs.tavus.io/sections/conversational-video-interface/overview-cvi
Resources
- Research: https://www.tavus.io/research
- Blog: https://www.tavus.io/blog
- Example Projects: https://github.com/Tavus-Engineering/tavus-examples
- Status: https://status.tavus.io
Community
- Discord: https://discord.gg/5Y9Er6WNN5
- GitHub: https://github.com/Tavus-Engineering
Getting Started
- Sign Up: https://platform.tavus.io/auth/sign-up?is_developer=true
- Free Tier: 25 conversational minutes + stock replicas
Company
- Founded: 2021 by Hassaan Raza & Quinn Favret
- HQ: San Francisco
- Backed by: Sequoia, Scale Venture Partners, Y Combinator, HubSpot
- Category: Human Computing / AI Research Lab
Pricing Tiers
| Tier | Minutes | Replicas | Concurrency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 25 | Stock only | 1 |
| Starter ($59/mo) | 100 | 1 custom | 3 |
| Growth ($397/mo) | 1,250 | 3 custom | 15 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom + SLAs |
Ethics & Trust
Tavus is built on:
- Informed consent: Every likeness used with permission
- Transparent systems: No hidden levers
- Full disclosure: You know how the magic works
- Bias reviews: Active monitoring and advisory oversight