Synthesia Moves Beyond Training Videos Into AI-Powered Roleplay Coaching

Synthesia has long helped companies rapidly produce customized training videos at lower cost than traditional corporate learning. Now the startup is pivoting toward what it sees as a more impactful lever: ensuring that training actually changes how people perform on the job.

The company unveiled Roleplay Sessions this week, allowing employees to rehearse demanding interpersonal scenarios—from sales pitches to difficult HR conversations—by interacting with an AI avatar that responds, challenges them, and rates their performance against structured criteria.

Why Practice Beats Watching#

Synthesia's shift reflects a broader skepticism across enterprises about whether their AI investments deliver measurable returns. According to research on learning outcomes, most corporate training—including video-based approaches—teaches concepts without driving real behavioral change. Retention and actual skill development require hands-on practice paired with feedback.

CEO Victor Riparbelli acknowledged the limitation: "Video performs way better than text or sending out a document. But for most things, we learn the best by actually practicing something rather than just reading it."

Expanding Into Performance Management#

Roleplay marks the debut of a wider "Sessions" platform that Synthesia intends to apply to job interviews and applicant screening in coming months. The move also addresses a strategic vulnerability: while Synthesia's avatar and voice technology are proprietary, the reasoning engine relies on OpenAI. By layering on rubrics, performance analytics, and talent mapping, Synthesia is repositioning itself as a performance-management tool rather than solely an avatar vendor.

Early adoption signals are strong. The company already has a few commercial deployments underway, including clients among Europe's top three largest companies by market cap, a top-five Fortune 100 firm, and a major global recruitment firm.

Current Focus and Future Scope#

Synthesia is launching Roleplay as an enterprise product, with sales and leadership training representing the initial use cases—mostly soft-skills development. Organizations can build custom scenarios themselves or work with Synthesia's consultants using their own training materials as a foundation.