AI startup Synthesia made headlines this week on both sides of the debate surrounding deepfakes. Synthesia claims its AI tool can generate professional videos from text input in over 120 languages in just 15 minutes. As the discussion around the implications of this kind of technology unfolds, investors are eyeing the company for its potential.
This week, Business Insider reported that Synthesia is in talks to raise funds which could value the startup at around $1 billion, with a potential raise of $50-75 million. NPR and The Wall Street Journal covered the debate around AI-generated deepfakes, including the Republican National Committee’s recent use of synthetic media to create a 30-second ad. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal ran an article written by Joanna Stern who tested out Synthesia to see how it could make her video work more productive.
Synthesia CEO, Victor Riparbelli, discussed this in an interview with VentureBeat last November. He emphasized the belief that people are often too focused on the negative implications of this technology, versus the positive use cases. For instance, it can be used to help businesses create important videos, such as for training, learning, compliance and other marketing purposes. Moreover, actors are paid for each of the videos Synthesia creates for its enterprise clients.
Riparbelli also noted that various agreements already exist in which people license their likeness for things such as multi-million dollar phone games. As the conversation around deepfakes continues to evolve, many are eagerly watching to see how Synthesia and other similar companies will further shape it.
Victor Riparbelli is the CEO of Synthesia, a London-based startup that claims to create “professional AI videos in 15 minutes.” He is a computer scientist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the AI and technology industry. Prior to his position at Synthesia, he was the founder of two successful startups in the AI and Machine Learning fields.
Synthesia is a technology startup based in London, England and was founded in 2018. The company has created an AI-driven platform that can generate videos from text input in over 120 languages in just 15 minutes. The company is on track to raise funds that could value them at around $1 billion. Its CEO Victor Riparbelli has stated that the purpose of the company is to provide businesses and organizations with a powerful AI tool that will help them create productive video content. The company believes that its technology is uniquely suited to help businesses create high-quality videos in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
