# Tavus Unveils Griffin as Real-Time Conversational Video Pushes Toward the Turing Test **Author:** Zero G Talent **Published:** 2026-10-24 **Category:** sales-marketing **Tags:** yc-hiring [Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/tavus-unveils-griffin-as-real-time-conversational-video-pushes-toward-the-turing-test) --- In October 2026, [Tavus](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-companies/tavus) revealed a research preview called Griffin, an AI model that runs full-duplex video calls capable of seeing, hearing, and speaking in real time. According to [ThePrint](https://theprint.in/feature/griffin-ai-first-human-interaction-model-turing-test/3061170/), the San Francisco startup tested the model against 54 participants, 48% of whom believed they were speaking with a human being. The result has placed the 40-person company at the center of growing industry debate over conversational realism and identity verification. The company labels Griffin a "Human Interaction Model." Unlike prior systems that chained separate generation, perception, and turn-taking models, Griffin folds audiovisual generation, emotional perception, and conversation logic into a single system. According to [Pasquale Pillitteri](https://pasqualepillitteri.it/en/news/22054/tavus-griffin-ai-video-call-48-percent), the model operates with an average latency of 0.43 seconds on NVIDIA H100 GPUs, generating 720p video from a single reference image and cloning a voice from roughly 10 seconds of source audio. Tavus has kept Griffin behind a waitlist rather than pushing it directly to production. The company stated it is working with AI safety organizations to build disclosure mechanisms before opening broader access, even as critics like Senator Bernie Sanders called for pauses on technology that mimics face-to-face interaction. ## Building Conversational Video Infrastructure Founded in 2020 and a member of Y Combinator’s S21 batch, Tavus builds developer tools and real-time APIs to embed interactive AI into video, voice, and text. The company positions its infrastructure around generative avatars for sales, recruiting, healthcare, and education. Earlier platforms at the company combined three distinct models: Phoenix-4.5 for face generation, Raven-1 for environmental understanding, and Sparrow-2 for conversational pacing. As reported by [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/10/10/tech/new-ai-model-griffin-tricks-48-of-people-into-thinking-its-human/), Griffin moves away from static responses by generating every frame in real time, reacting to visual cues such as hand movements or pauses in speech, and handling interruptions without breaking context. Behind the research, Tavus has accumulated $64.2 million in total funding. Backers include Sequoia Capital, High Alpha, GTMfund, Mantis Venture Capital, Scale Venture Partners, and CRV, the latter having led a $40 million Series B round in late 2025. ## Founder Backgrounds Tavus was founded by [Quinn Favret](https://zerogtalent.com/people/quinn-favret), [Hassaan Raza](https://zerogtalent.com/people/hassaan-raza), and [Rishabh Dhar](https://zerogtalent.com/people/rishabh-dhar). - [Hassaan Raza](https://zerogtalent.com/people/hassaan-raza), who serves as Chief Executive Officer, leads product direction and public research disclosures. In technical presentations, Raza has emphasized that human communication relies on non-verbal pacing, stating, "We speak as much through our words as we do our expressions, tone, gestures and timing." - [Quinn Favret](https://zerogtalent.com/people/quinn-favret) studied at the University of Michigan and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to co-founding Tavus, he was co-founder at Chime Menu between 2019 and 2020. - [Rishabh Dhar](https://zerogtalent.com/people/rishabh-dhar) completes the founding team, working from the company's San Francisco headquarters. On the research side, the company's technical initiatives have been built in collaboration with Ioannis Patras, Head of Research, alongside academic input from Queen Mary University of London and infrastructure support from Baseten, Daily, and Cerebrium. ## Engineering and Commercial Hiring Priorities Tavus currently lists 12 open roles, dividing its growth between core infrastructure, field deployment, product experience, and enterprise distribution. On the technical side, the architecture requires systems capable of low-latency streaming and high-throughput model inference. The company is hiring a [Senior Software Engineer (Infrastructure)](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/senior-software-engineer-infrastructure-79584) ($160,000–$250,000/year) and a [Senior Software Engineer (CVI)](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/senior-software-engineer-cvi-106806) to work directly on conversational video interfaces. Integration with client environments is handled by positions such as [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/forward-deployed-engineer-92526) ($140,000–$200,000/year) and [Data Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/data-engineer-92819). On the commercial and product side, the company is assembling teams to handle demand across enterprise software and developer platforms. Open roles include an [Enterprise Account Executive](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/enterprise-account-executive-106801), [Product Manager](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/product-manager-106802), and [Marketer (Brand, Product, Storytelling)](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/marketer-brand-product-storytelling-94046) ($120,000–$150,000/year). Most engineering roles require onsite or hybrid presence at Tavus's San Francisco headquarters, while select product and pipeline positions accommodate US-based remote workers. ## Open Roles at Tavus | Role | Location | Work Mode | Salary | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | [Senior Software Engineer (Infrastructure)](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/senior-software-engineer-infrastructure-79584) | San Francisco, CA, US / Remote (US) | Hybrid | $160,000 – $250,000 / year | | [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/forward-deployed-engineer-92526) | San Francisco, CA, US | Onsite | $140,000 – $200,000 / year | | [Marketer (Brand, Product, Storytelling)](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/marketer-brand-product-storytelling-94046) | San Francisco, CA, US | Onsite | $120,000 – $150,000 / year | | [Customer Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/customer-engineer-92816) | San Francisco | Onsite | $30 – $40 / hour | | [Senior Software Engineer (CVI)](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/senior-software-engineer-cvi-106806) | San Francisco | Onsite | — | | [Data Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/data-engineer-92819) | Remote / Remote (US) | Remote | — | | [Product Manager](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/product-manager-106802) | San Francisco / Remote (US) | Remote | — | | [Enterprise Account Executive](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/enterprise-account-executive-106801) | San Francisco / Remote (US) | Hybrid | — | | [Product Designer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/product-designer-106803) | San Francisco / Remote (US) | Hybrid | — | | [Brand & Product Designer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/brand-product-designer-106800) | San Francisco / Remote (US) | Hybrid | — | | [Business Development Representative](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/business-development-representative-106804) | San Francisco / Remote (US) | Hybrid | — | | [Vibe Growth Marketer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/tavus/vibe-growth-marketer-106805) | San Francisco | Onsite | — | [See all open roles at Tavus](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-companies/tavus) --- *Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*