Can You Spot the Bot?

Almost half of the individuals who interacted with an AI-generated “interviewer” mistakenly believed they were conversing with a human. This observation comes from Tavus, a startup based in the Bay Area.

According to Tavus, its latest model, named Griffin, tricked 48% of the 54 participants during a job interview simulation. The company suggests that this outcome indicates Griffin can pass the Turing Test, which assesses whether machines can demonstrate intelligent behavior that’s indistinguishable from that of a human.

Interestingly, those who believed the interviewer was a person reported an average confidence level of 79%. Conversely, participants who recognized the interviewer as a bot claimed an 81% confidence in their assessment.

Griffin is designed to create every pixel of its frames in real-time, using a single reference image. This includes not only the facial features but also the movement of the chair, shadows, and the background environment, according to the company’s claims.

The avatars produced vary in male and female appearances and exhibit natural behaviors such as breathing and blinking.

“Humans are evolutionarily designed to communicate face to face. We convey as much through our expressions, tone, gestures, and timing as we do with words. So much of how we connect is non-verbal. It’s really an art,” commented Hassaan Raza, CEO and co-founder of Tavus.

Raza further explained that the model has worked to resolve some disconcerting issues that typically arise in interactions with AI avatars, like smiling despite receiving bad news.

Griffin is capable of reacting in real-time, adjusting to changes in conversation topics, and even being interrupted without losing track of the dialogue, as stated by the company.

In one demonstration, Griffin effectively guided a participant on how to solve a Rubik’s Cube, showcasing its ability to respond to visual prompts. In another instance, it can be seen successfully playing Simon Says.

The company envisions these models as tools that could benefit students in educational settings or serve as tutors.