Case study · Personal project
AI Photo Avatar
An interactive, conversational AI avatar trained on a custom knowledge base, so a digital persona can actually answer questions instead of just reciting a script.
The idea
Talking head avatars are everywhere, but most of them only read a fixed script. I wanted to see how close I could get to one that holds a real conversation.
A face and voice that answers in character, grounded in a specific body of knowledge rather than generic chatter.
The approach
I defined the use case and requirements first: who the avatar represents, what it should know, and where the line sits between on brand answers and making things up.
Then I built it on HeyGen for the avatar and voice, wired to a custom knowledge base so its responses stay grounded in the source material instead of drifting.
The interesting work was the product decisions around it: scoping the persona, shaping the knowledge, and tuning the experience so the conversation feels natural.
The result
A working, interactive avatar that responds in conversation, shown in the demo. A proof of concept for grounded conversational personas.
Useful as a brand spokesperson, an onboarding guide, or an always available front desk, and a hands on way for me to learn what these systems can and cannot do today.
Tech & tools
My role
- Defined the use case, the persona, and the requirements.
- Built the avatar on HeyGen and connected it to a custom knowledge base.
- Shaped the knowledge and tuned the conversation for accurate, on brand responses.