Answer of the Week · Week 40

800 avatars built. And Maria was there on stage.

Week 40 · AI Superevent 2026, Vienna · Keynote by Thomas Hruska

There is no customer dialogue this week. Instead, we have something that means just as much to us.

Thomas Hruska featured Maria as a practical case study in his keynote at the AI Superevent in Vienna. The title of his talk: "800 avatars built: The bitter truth about digital twins." Maria was not just an ambassador in the background; she was there on stage.

800

avatars have been built by Thomas Hruska. His conclusion: An avatar does not replace the person. It replaces the recording studio.

The Speaker: Thomas Hruska is one of the leading experts in AI-powered avatars and digital video communication. With many years of experience in senior industrial roles and process optimization, he knows the challenges SMEs face firsthand. As a speaker and trainer, he imparts immediately applicable strategies: clear, practical, and with maximum impact. Thomas is a partner of Frag-Maria. Learn more about his avatar expertise

Maria on stage

In his talk, Thomas Hruska demonstrated interactive avatars in apprentice training, for example in simulated customer advisory situations in retail. In those scenarios, Maria explains terms, asks targeted questions, and verifies knowledge. One of those terms: context competence.

Maria explains context competence
● From the keynote transcript

Definition

"Context competence is the ability to connect product knowledge, customer situation, digital background information, and operational reality in such a way that it creates genuine guidance for the customer."

That is not a marketing formula. That is the job description. This is exactly what we measure Maria by in everyday life: She knows the product, understands the customer's situation, uses what is known in advance, and remains within the bounds of what the business can actually deliver.

Takeaways from the keynote

AI video avatars enable video communication without a studio, camera, or lighting, produced in minutes.

The efficiency is measurable: One client produced 60 personalized videos in one hour. An elevator academy saved 80,000 euros compared to studio recordings.

Avatars support interactive training, secure the know-how of departing employees, and turn workshops and transcripts into full-fledged courses.

Typical mistakes: cut-out/isolated avatars (90% fail because of this), unnatural gestures, and overly perfect studio shots.

01Think from the use caseWhich task requires video communication, and in what situation?

02Natural instead of perfectImperfect training videos are more credible than high-gloss ones.

03No isolated cut-outs90% fail because of isolated avatars.

04Replacing the studioNot the person. Just the recording space.

"An avatar does not replace the person themselves, but serves as a substitute for a recording studio." Thomas Hruska. This is exactly how we think of Maria: Face and voice are the interface. The work happens behind the scenes.

The counterpoint from Vienna The motto of the weekend: "The more powerful the AI, the more important the humans." Human-in-the-loop is not a stumbling block. This governance is what makes trust possible in the first place. That is why the question with Maria is not only what she can do, but what she is allowed to decide independently.

What this means for SMEs

Anyone thinking about avatars today should not start with the technology, but with the situation. Where does your company talk to people, is it repetitive, and does it need a face? If the answer is yes, a well-made avatar is a tool. Not a replacement for your team.

Apprentice trainingKnow-how transferCustomer adviceCourse creation from workshopsVideo communication without a studioContext competence

Would you like to know where an avatar like Maria makes sense for your company? Let's take a look together.

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