AI voice agent
An AI voice agent is software that answers phone calls and holds a spoken conversation with the caller, following instructions written by the business — for example to answer common questions or take a message.
How an AI voice agent works
The agent listens to the caller, turns the speech into text, decides what to say using a language model and its instructions, and replies with a synthetic voice. Unlike an IVR, the caller does not press keys; they speak normally. The business controls the agent through a prompt: what it may tell callers and what information it should collect.
Common uses
- After-hours answering — taking messages when the office is closed.
- Answering routine questions — opening hours, addresses, which team handles what.
- First contact — collecting the caller's name and reason for calling before a person calls back.
An AI agent works best with clear, limited instructions. Complex or sensitive calls should still reach a person.
AI voice agents in phone.systems™
phone.systems™ includes an AI Agent object for call flows. You set four things: the agent's name, its voice, the greeting callers hear first and the prompt with its instructions. Teams that already run an AI agent elsewhere can connect it instead with BYOAI (bring your own AI). A common setup connects it to the closed branch of a Time Router, so it answers only outside business hours. Calls it handles appear in call history like any other call. See letting AI answer after hours.