As the founder of AI newsletter Mindstream, I’m constantly thinking about scale, especially when it comes to content. For me, video was the bottleneck. I wanted to show up consistently, but I didn’t want to spend hours filming, editing, or setting up gear. That’s what led me to explore AI avatars.
At first, avatars were just an experimental shortcut for businesses. But over time, they became something more: a flexible way to keep things personal without needing to be physically present. Today, savvy teams are already leveraging avatars.
Here are six high-impact ways I’ve seen businesses leverage avatars, along with tools that make it easy to get started.
6 Ways Businesses Are Leveraging AI Avatars
1. Short-form Content Creation at Scale
Creating video used to be slow and frustrating, especially for small businesses with cash-strapped teams. It took forever to film, edit, subtitle, and polish something enough to actually post it. Now, AI avatars are changing the game.
Now, you can write a script and let the tools do the rest. I’ve tested Argil, which is specifically built for short-form creators. Once the avatar is in place, it adds captions automatically and even suggests relevant B-roll based on the topic. I noticed the tool still needed reviewing and tweaking, but I didn’t need to start from scratch.
I believe this shift will make daily video publishing possible for teams of any size. What used to take hours now takes ten minutes, without compromising quality. And because it’s scalable, you can show up way more consistently, even without a dedicated video producer.
2. Localized and Translated Content for Global Reach
Translation and localization are also where I see avatars making huge strides. For example, most people know YouTuber Mr. Beast for his over-the-top videos, but what I find equally fascinating is his distribution model. Only around 30% of his audience speaks English, while the rest is made possible through translated content.
AI avatars now allow for native-quality lip syncing in multiple languages. I’ve seen HeyGen do this, and the fidelity is honestly mind-blowing. The avatar’s lips and voice match perfectly with the new language.
Avatars open up international audiences without the need to re-record anything, making it an essential strategy for any content-focused business that wants to expand globally.
3. Scalable Sales Outreach and Customer Service
Another use case I’m personally excited about is using AI avatars in outbound sales. If you’ve ever received a Loom from someone scrolling your LinkedIn and pitching you something generic, you know how forgettable that feels. But when you integrate AI avatar tools like Tavus with AI research agents like Clay, which can scrape LinkedIn profiles, you can do much better.
With just a name and a few data points, I can generate a tailored video that says, “Hey Sarah, I saw you work at Acme Corp and recently posted about AI coaching. I think you’ll find this demo useful.”
It’s fast, it’s scalable, and it lands better than any cold email I’ve ever sent.
4. Personalized Welcome Videos in Email Marketing
Imagine someone joins my newsletter and 30 minutes later they receive a video that looks like you recorded it just for them: “Hey Matt, thanks for signing up to Mindstream. Here’s what you can expect.”
Even when people know it’s AI, the gesture still feels personal, and that’s what makes it effective.
Tools like Synthesia, which integrate directly with CRM platforms like HubSpot, make it easy to automate videos that are personalized with names, company details, and other contextual client information. As a result, you’re able to deliver human-feeling onboarding at scale, without stepping in front of a camera.
5. Virtual Influencers and Brand Ambassadors
The virtual influencer space is wild — and honestly, one of the areas I’m most curious about.
You may have heard of Lil Miquela, a fully synthetic Instagram influencer who reportedly makes $10 million a year from brand deals. What struck me wasn’t just her popularity; it was the potential for brands to create permanent, programmable spokespeople.
With tools like Arcads and Creatify AI, businesses can now build these digital personalities themselves. And, it doesn’t have to be high-fashion or ultra-polished. A friend of mine is building a coaching platform where the avatar represents them across all brand touchpoints, from social posts to appointment booking to onboarding content.
It’s like spinning up a creative team overnight. And because it’s all synthetic, it scales effortlessly.
6. Internal Communication and Training
Not all avatar use cases are public-facing. I’ve seen business leaders use avatars for internal updates and briefings as well. Rather than writing a Slack post or a lengthy doc, they can generate a quick video summarizing weekly priorities, news, or metrics.
This is particularly helpful for distributed teams. It adds a personal tone and saves time without requiring anyone to go on camera. I’ve also seen teams use avatars to enable employee onboarding, product explainers, or even internal compliance training.
Tools like Colossyan and Hour One are worth exploring here. Both offer features designed for structured, scripted video content — ideal for training, learning and development, or announcements — and support slide integration, multilingual output, and team-based video production.
AI avatars help you scale for a fraction of the cost.
When I started following AI avatars, I didn’t expect them to become a core part of how businesses scale video. But over time, I’ve seen how they can empower transformative video strategies. These tools help teams stay consistent, keep a human tone, and remove the bottlenecks that used to slow them down.
People still write the scripts. They still shape the message. But the execution? That’s handled. And for any business that wants to do the same, AI avatars are the key.
To learn more about AI avatars and how you can use them to improve your business, check out the full episode of The Next Wave below:
