Glossary

AI voice agent

Also called: AI receptionist, AI phone agent

Software that answers phone calls and holds a spoken conversation, using a language model plus the business's own rules, calendar and information.

An AI voice agent turns the caller's speech into text, decides what to say or do, and replies in a synthetic voice, usually within a second or two. It can follow a script, ask qualifying questions, look up open times and book appointments.

A well-built voice agent knows its limits: it hands complaints, unusual requests and anything needing professional judgement to a person.

Example. A heating company's voice agent answers a 9 p.m. call about a broken furnace, books the first morning slot and texts the owner a summary.