On October 1, a company called Tavus announced an AI called Griffin. It can hold a live video call as a realistic, moving, talking person.
The public cannot use Griffin yet. Tavus says it will release it once it has worked out how to do that safely (personally, I’m skeptical that that’s possible).
But you should start preparing for this technology now. Because this is coming.
In 2024, an employee at the engineering firm Arup sent about $25.6 million after a video call where the company's chief financial officer and the other colleagues on screen were all deepfakes. Fake family-emergency calls with a copied voice already happen, too. The FBI counted more than $5 million in reported losses from them in 2025.
And Tavus’s own tests suggest Griffin is good enough to fool people. In one test, 26 of 54 people who had a one-minute video call with it thought they had talked to a real person.
The direction is obvious. Tavus itself says models like this can "deceive a human into believing it is not AI". According to Tavus, Griffin can make the video from a single photo and copy a voice from about 10 seconds of audio.
Imagine this. One day, your spouse gets a video call from you. It looks like you, it sounds like you, and you're asking them to wire money or share a password. They might not be able to tell it's not actually you.
So what should you do?
First, set up a family code word. The FBI's first tip on AI fraud is literally this: "Create a secret word or phrase with your family to verify their identity."
A good code word is something that nobody could guess just by knowing you. For example, don't make it a pet's name or someone's birthday. Make it something new that you come up with.
Second, if you get a call from a family member or colleague asking for money, sensitive information, or an unusual favor, do not trust the voice or the video alone. Hang up and call them back on a number you know is theirs.
If you run a company, start thinking now about how you will verify video calls in sensitive situations.
Again: Griffin is not available to the public today. This is not "this is happening with Griffin right now." This is "this is coming, get ready."
But the timeline is shorter than most people think. When technology like this is shown working in a lab, it usually does not stay locked up forever. Other companies will build it. The FBI and FTC are already warning about voice scams. Video is the obvious next step.
Do not wait until you are staring at a video of your daughter asking for help to figure out what to do. Have the conversation now. Set the code word. Test it.
Forward this to your family. They need to be ready for this too.
I also wrote a short guide to setting up a family code word. It's part of the new Something Big Pro plan, along with a new guide, prompt or tool every week, and more than $25K in credits to some of my favorite AI tools. Join now and you're locked in at the founding rate before the price goes up.
Hit reply and let me know if you have already set up a code word with your family, or if this is the push you needed to finally do it.
— Matt
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