An AI voice agent is a conversational system that uses speech recognition and natural language processing to understand spoken requests and respond in real time. Most AI voice agents today operate through phone calls or voice-only interfaces, replacing traditional IVR systems and reducing call center load.

Voice AI agents are effective at:

• Handling inbound calls

• Answering FAQs

• Scheduling appointments

• Routing callers to the right department

This is why platforms like PolyAI have gained adoption in industries with high call volumes.

But voice-only AI has a limitation: it still requires people to call.

In physical environments — hotels, hospitals, events, campuses — most questions happen before a call is made. Guests and patients look for help where they are, not in a phone menu.

That’s where the next evolution begins.

What comes after voice-only AI is voice + presence.
HumanBeam extends AI voice agents into the physical world. Instead of answering calls, HumanBeam stands in front of people — listening, speaking, guiding, and escalating to live staff when needed.

Voice AI is step one.
In-person conversational AI is step two.

Explore how HumanBeam expands voice AI beyond the phone