An AI Santa is a Santa Claus character made with artificial intelligence: he hears what you say and answers out loud, live, in his own voice, with a face that moves as he talks. On Hey Santa, he is an AI video character you talk with on a live video call, made for holiday fun.
Updated by the Hey Santa elves
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Six questions you might ask Santa, with the kind of answer he gives on a call. The elves wrote these examples ahead of time. On a real call, Santa hears you and makes up his answers on the spot.
Pick a question for Santa:
Example answers
Ho ho ho! Pick a question, and I'll show you the kind of answer I give on a call.
You askedCan I tell you my wish? It's a scooter!
A scooter! Ho ho ho, what a good wish, friend. I'll tell my elves right away. Now, what color should it be? And would you like the wheels that light up when you ride?
For grown-ups: Santa asks which one and which color, then says each wish back so the elves get it right. He says he'll tell the elves. He never promises a gift will come. After the call, the wish lands on your list with store prices.
You askedDo you know any Christmas jokes?
Do I! The elves bring me a new one every morning. What do you call an elf who sings? A wrapper! Ho ho ho! Now it's your turn, friend. Do you have a joke for Santa?
For grown-ups: When you ask for a joke, he tells a short, clean Christmas one. Want one of your own ready? Pick a favorite from our Christmas jokes for kids and grown-ups.
You askedWhat are the reindeer doing tonight?
Oh, they're full of beans tonight, friend! Dasher and Dancer are racing laps around the stable, Blitzen keeps sneaking extra carrots, and Rudolph is polishing his nose for Christmas Eve. Which reindeer would you like to meet?
For grown-ups: Santa knows the North Pole stories: the reindeer, the elves' workshop and Mrs. Claus's cookies. His eight reindeer come from the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," first printed in 1823.
You askedI had a hard day. Can you cheer me up?
Oh, friend, I'm so glad you told me. Everybody has hard days, even elves. Do you know what Mrs. Claus does when she feels glum? She bakes the silliest cookie shapes she can think of. What shape would you bake?
For grown-ups: Santa is gentle, and he praises kindness, trying hard and being brave. If a child says they are hurt or unsafe, he tells them to tell a grown-up they trust right away, or to call 911 if they are in danger.
You askedI'm a grown-up. Can I ask for something too?
Ho ho ho, of course you can, friend! Nobody is too old for a Christmas wish. Grown-ups make some of my favorite lists. So tell me, what have you had your eye on this year?
For grown-ups: Adults call Santa for themselves too. Their wishes come back on the same kind of list, with prices from real stores and a link to each one.
You askedAre you the real Santa?
Ho ho ho! What do you think, friend? I think the magic is in believing, and in being kind. Speaking of kind, tell me one kind thing you did this week. I'd love to hear it.
For grown-ups: With children, Santa stays in character, the way a Santa at the mall does. If a grown-up sincerely asks, he is set up to say he is an AI Santa. So we say it plainly here: he is an AI video character, not a person. With younger kids, you decide how to talk about that.
Example answers are written by the elves to show Santa's style. A name you type stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
An AI Santa, sometimes called a Santa AI, is a Santa Claus you can talk with, made by a computer program instead of a person in a suit. The name gets used for two different things, so it helps to know which one you are looking at.
The first kind makes a recorded video. You type a script, or fill in a child's name, age and a few details, and a website builds a clip of Santa saying it. You can watch it and share it, but you can't talk back.
The second kind is live. You talk, and Santa answers what you just said, the way someone on a video call would. If you want to chat with Santa and hear him answer, this is the kind you want.
The Santa on Hey Santa is the live kind: an AI video character. There is no actor on the other end, and he is not a real person. He was made for holiday fun, a grown-up runs every account, and you can start a live video call with him from the home page.
A chat with Santa feels like a video call with someone who is very happy to hear from you. Santa answers on video in his red suit by the fire. He says your first name, gives a "ho ho ho" and asks how you are.
Then you just talk. You don't press anything to speak. Santa listens, then answers out loud in his own voice while his face and mouth move with the words. He keeps his turns short, usually one to three sentences and then a question, so young kids have room to answer.
When you tell him a wish, he asks about it: which one, what color, what you'd do with it. Then he says it back, like "a red scooter with light-up wheels, got it!", because the elves write the list from what he hears. After the call, those wishes come back as a Christmas wish list with real store prices and links.
In plain words: you speak, he listens, he answers. Three things happen on every turn of the conversation.
Your microphone picks up your voice, and speech recognition turns your words into text. No camera is used.
A language program reads your words with Santa's rules and the details the grown-up typed, and writes his reply.
A computer voice says the reply out loud while Santa's face and mouth move to match, live on your screen.
That loop takes a moment, then starts again, for as long as the call runs. Apart from his hello and a few set phrases, his answers are made live, so each call goes its own way. It also means he can mishear a word in a noisy room or get a detail wrong. That is one reason he repeats each wish back: if he got it wrong, you can tell him "no, the blue one."
Before the call, Santa knows only what the grown-up types: a first name, plus a child's age and a short note if you add them, such as "she was brave at the dentist." He weaves the note in and never says a grown-up told him. He does not remember earlier calls.
He's at his best in a Christmas chat. He also has real limits, and they're worth knowing before you call.
Santa follows the same child-safety rules on every call, whether he is talking with a four-year-old or a grandparent. Here is what that means for your family.
Not to children. With kids he stays in character, the way a Santa at a parade or the mall does. If a child asks whether he's real, he answers along the lines of "What do you think? The magic is in believing, and in being kind." If a grown-up sincerely asks, he is set up to say he is an AI Santa, a video character made for holiday fun.
So we say it plainly here too: this Santa is an AI video character. You know your child best, and how you explain it is up to you.
There are three common ways to see Santa this season, and each one does something the others can't.
| Question | AI Santa video call | Recorded Santa video | Mall Santa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is Santa? | An AI video character | A filmed actor, or a clip made by computer | A person in a Santa suit |
| Can you talk back? | Yes, live, for the whole call | No, you watch it | Yes, in person |
| Does he answer what you just said? | Yes, each answer is made on the spot | No, it's made before you watch, from details a grown-up typed | Yes |
| Where | In a browser on a phone, tablet or computer | On a screen, any time after it's made | At the mall or store |
| When | No booking. Call when you're ready. | Any time, again and again | Set hours in the season, often with a booking or a line |
| Can he see you? | No, he only hears you | No | Yes |
| What you keep | A wish list with store prices. No recording. | The video, to watch and share | Often a photo |
A recorded video is the better pick for a keepsake to watch again next year. For a photo with Santa in person, go to the mall. Mall visits run on set dates and hours: at Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey, for example, Santa is there November 6 to December 24, 2026, and reservations are recommended. An AI Santa is for a real back-and-forth from your own sofa, with no booking. See every option in our guide to ways to call Santa.
No. He is an AI video character: a computer program that listens and talks in real time, with a Santa face and voice. There is no actor on the other end.
Yes. On Hey Santa you talk out loud and Santa answers right away, on a live video call in your browser. Several AI Santa sites make a recorded video instead, which you can watch but can't talk back to.
No. He hears you through your microphone. No camera is used, so you can call in your pajamas.
No. Every call starts fresh. Santa knows only what the grown-up types before that call: a first name, and a child's age and a short note if you add them.
Not on a call. On Hey Santa, an AI Santa chat is spoken: you talk out loud and he answers out loud, on video. To see his style first, try the sample questions at the top of this page.
Calls are not free. They cost $1 a minute, in packs of 5, 10 or 20 minutes, with no subscription and no free minutes. The sample questions on this page are free to try. See pricing.
A phone, tablet or computer with a web browser and a microphone. There is no app to download. Start a live video call with Santa from the home page.
Yes. Grown-ups call for themselves and ask for the gift they want, or get help with ideas for the people on their list. Their wishes come back on a list with store prices, just like a child's.
Christmas Day 2026 is Friday, December 25. Our Christmas countdown shows the days and sleeps left.
Live videoSay hello on a live video call, right in your browser. Kids and grown-ups both call. $1 a minute, no app.
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