Managed Agents at Previously $0.06 $0.03/minManaged Agents are Previously $0.06 $0.03/min.

ServiceNow#1 on EVA-Bench

Artificial Analysis#1 on Speech Agent Arena

AI IVR agents that answer callers instead of reading them a menu.

Callers can check flights, track bags, and find bookings by saying what they need.

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Give callers answers instead of a menu

Callers ask in their own words, and the agent answers from your flight, baggage and booking systems.

Instead of "press 1 for flights", the agent names a few things callers can ask about and understands whatever they say next.

AI IVR that ends the call with an answer

What is an AI IVR?

An AI IVR is a voice agent on your main number that takes spoken requests and answers them on the call. Traditional IVR was built to route callers through a tree into a queue. An AI powered IVR looks up the record and tells them.

  • Get flight status
  • Get baggage status
  • Find booking by code
  • Transfer to rebooking desk

What happens to a status call on a bad weather day?

A touch-tone system has no branch for "the 4:10 to Denver", so status calls pile up behind rebooking calls. People who need a human wait behind people who wanted a gate number. The agent reads flight status and ends those calls at the front door.

What gate is flight 117?

get_flight_status117 to Boston, gate C4, boards 6:05

Flight 117 to Boston boards at gate C4. Boarding starts at 6:05 p.m.

Can an AI IVR system read my records?

Yes, through tools you configure. Northline Air's agent finds a flight from a number, a route or a time, tracks a bag from its six-character tag code and finds a booking from its confirmation code. It reads those records and never changes or cancels a booking.

  • Flight 482 status0:41
  • Bag located in Chicago1:18
  • Canceled flight, rebooking0:58

How do I replace an IVR with AI?

Move the whole number at once, or start with the busiest branches and leave the old menu behind a transfer. Either way, cancellations, changes and anyone who asks for an agent go to the rebooking desk on the first request.

Resolved on the call

Did the caller get the answer they asked for before the call ended, without a transfer?

What callers notice when an AI based IVR replaces the tree

An AI IVR system changes the first ten seconds of every call. It also changes who ends up in your agents' queue, which is where you'll feel it.

One question replaces the menu

Callers hear what they can ask about and then just ask. Nobody sits through six options to find the one that half fits.

Status calls finish at the front door

Gate, delay and landing time come from your flight system in under a minute, and the caller never touches your queue.

Code lookups work out loud

Spell out a tag code or a booking reference and the agent finds it. Nobody has to map letters onto a keypad.

Rebooking agents get the calls that need them

With routine status out of the line, your desk spends the storm on cancellations and changes.

You can move one branch at a time

Start with the busiest branches and keep the old menu behind a transfer. Nothing forces you to cut over the whole tree in a weekend.

It reads records and never changes them

The agent can't rebook, cancel or refund. Ask for a person once and you go straight to the rebooking desk, with no pleading required.

Why IVR AI lives or dies on speech

Conversational AI IVR asks for trust from callers trained to shout "representative". Cartesia's speech models have to earn it in one sentence.

  • $0.03per minute
  • #1on Speech Agent Arena and EVA-Bench
  • 24/7answers every call, at any hour

Handles spelled-out codes

"N L 4 7 Q 2" comes with pauses and second thoughts. The agent waits for the whole code and doesn't jump in early.

Reads three systems in one call

Choose the LLM, then give it the tools for flight status, baggage status and booking lookups, plus the transfer to the rebooking desk.

Gates and times you can catch

Flight numbers and gates have to land the first time in a loud airport. Try them out on voices from the library before choosing.

AI voice agent vs. traditional IVR systems and live agents

Most teams are replacing the middle column and trying to protect the third. The rows show where each one earns its cost.

AI IVRTouch-tone IVRLive agents
How a caller startsSays what they needListens and presses keysWaits in a queue, then explains
Flight or order statusAnswered on the callSometimes, with exact digitsYes, after the wait
Requests outside the scriptTransfers on the first askOften loops back to the menuYes, this is what people are for
A weather-day spikeCalls run at the same timeHandles it, then feeds a long queueQueue grows until you add staff
Changing the flowEdit the instruction and toolsUsually rebuild and re-recordRetrain the team
How you pay$0.03 each minute, plus LLM usage and telephonyUsually a platform feeWages, busy or quiet

See which calls ended with an answer

Every call is recorded and transcribed. See which callers got the flight, bag or booking answer they asked for, and which needed the rebooking desk.

Launch an AI IVR in three steps

Start building

  1. Clone the IVR front door

    Copy this agent, then rewrite its opening line and swap in your own call reasons and rules.

  2. Connect your record systems

    Link the lookups your callers need through tools you configure, set the transfer desk, and move your number or one menu branch.

  3. Ask for a human on the first try

    Call with a status question, then a cancellation, then ask for an agent. Go live once the last two reach your desk right away.

Enterprise-grade security

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IVR FAQs

What is an AI IVR?

An AI IVR is a voice agent on your main number that takes spoken requests instead of key presses and answers them on the call. For routing alone, read how conversational IVR works.

Is an AI IVR system the same as conversational IVR?

Close. Conversational IVR lets callers speak instead of pressing keys, mostly to route the call. An AI IVR system like this one also looks up the record and answers on the call, such as a flight's status or where a bag is.

How is an AI IVR different from an auto attendant?

An auto attendant sends a call to a department or person. An AI IVR also answers the question or looks up the record on the call.

Can an AI IVR look up records in our systems?

Yes. The agent reads your flight, baggage, booking or account systems through tools you configure, and uses the LLM you choose.

Can an AI IVR track a bag or find a booking?

Yes. The agent takes the six-character code on the baggage tag, or a booking's confirmation code, and reads back what your systems return.

Can an AI IVR replace the whole phone tree at once?

Yes. The agent can answer the main number from day one, or take the busiest branches first while the old menu sits behind a transfer.

Can callers still reach a person?

Yes. The agent never changes or cancels a booking. Cancellations, changes, refunds and any caller who asks for an agent go to the rebooking desk on the first request, and you control exactly when else it transfers.

What are the best AI IVR solutions?

The best AI IVR for you answers routine calls from your own systems and lets callers reach a person on the first ask. Compare options on how they handle speech, spelled codes and interruptions. Check that every call is recorded and scored, and that you can choose the LLM. You can test this one by calling the sample airline line.

How do I set up an AI IVR?

List your busiest menu branches first. Clone the sample agent, write the opening line around those reasons for calling, and connect the systems it needs through tools you configure. Set the transfer desk for anything it shouldn't handle. Then move your number across, or put the agent in front of one branch and leave the old menu behind a transfer.

Should we replace our IVR with an AI voice agent?

If most calls are routine lookups, it's worth testing. Status questions finish on the call, and your agents keep the cancellations and changes. If your menu is a short directory, an auto attendant may be enough. You can start with the busiest branch and leave the old menu behind a transfer.

What is the best IVR solution using AI speech?

The best one keeps up with real callers. Test it with spelled-out codes, interruptions and a noisy line, then listen for how fast it answers and how clearly it reads numbers. Cartesia runs its own speech models under the agent, and you can hear them by calling the sample airline line on this page.

How much does an AI IVR system cost?

Status lookups tend to be short calls, and you pay for call time at $0.03 per minute. LLM usage is billed separately. A Cartesia phone number adds $0.014 per minute, or nothing if you bring your own Twilio account or SIP trunk, which is common for a business with an existing IVR. The free plan includes $1 of agent calls a month for a first test. See pricing.

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