KIDS can now have a proper phone conversation with Santa.
Sadly, Santa is too busy to call everyone so instead he’s using the magic of AI to deliver more realistic chats.
The world’s number one Santa app, Portable North Pole (PNP), has already been downloaded more than ten million times on Android alone.
Until now, you could only get pre-recorded personalised content from the service.
But this year it goes a step further with “live” phone calls with Father Christmas.
It uses live speech recognition and adaptive responses to make every interaction feel personal and magical.
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And the firm assures that its system uses safety parameters and contextual awareness to ensure every conversation remains age-appropriate and family-friendly.
So we put it to the test.
All you have to do is provide your name, age and location before.
Then within seconds the Santa phone call starts and you’re greeted with a personalised message.
He answers any questions you might have, so I start with the obvious.
Am I on the nice list?
“Well now Jamie, you’re on the nice list indeed – the verdict machine in the grand library keeps track of all your good deeds and it shows you’ve been trying your best,” a shaky wise voice responds.
I also asked how he manages to deliver all his presents in one night.
“I use my magic clock to stop time,” he says.
“The North star guides me. And I make sure to arrive when everyone is asleep.”
Santa will also respond to questions about whether he is real or not.
“That’s a great question – I’m as real as the joy and wonder that fill the world during Christmas, Jamie,” he responds.
“The magic of the North Pole is all about bringing happiness and keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.”
You can ask up to 10 questions in total.
My conversation goes on for a good four minutes.
Sadly, you don’t get a recording of the conversation to keep.
Portable North Pole (PNP) works with credits you buy – and the new Talk feature costs 1 credit.
There are a variety of payment options to get credits, starting from £9.49.
But personalised videos are free.
Another option to come out this week is via Alexa, that allows you to speak to Santa daily for free.
However, having tested both the Alexa option isn’t as realistic with very generic statements – and no personalisation.
