News from the AI & ML world

DeeperML - #conversationalai

Carl Franzen@AI News | VentureBeat //
ElevenLabs has launched Conversational AI 2.0, a significant upgrade to its platform designed for building advanced voice agents for enterprise use. The new system allows agents to handle both speech and text simultaneously, enabling more fluid and natural interactions. This update introduces features aimed at creating more intelligent and secure conversations, making it suitable for applications like customer support, call centers, and outbound sales and marketing. According to Jozef Marko from ElevenLabs, Conversational AI 2.0 sets a new standard for voice-driven experiences.

One key highlight of Conversational AI 2.0 is its advanced turn-taking model. This technology analyzes conversational cues in real-time, such as hesitations and filler words like "um" and "ah", to determine when the agent should speak or listen. This eliminates awkward pauses and interruptions, creating a more natural flow. The platform also features integrated language detection, enabling seamless multilingual discussions without manual configuration. This allows the agent to recognize the language spoken by the user and respond accordingly, catering to global enterprises and fostering more inclusive experiences.

In related news, Anthropic is rolling out voice mode for its Claude apps, utilizing ElevenLabs for speech generation. While currently only available in English, this feature allows users to engage in spoken conversations with Claude, enhancing accessibility and convenience. The voice conversations count toward regular usage limits based on subscription plans, with varying limits for free and paid users. This integration marks a significant step in making AI more conversational and user-friendly, leveraging ElevenLabs' technology to power its speech capabilities.

Recommended read:
References :
  • the-decoder.com: Elevenlabs has released Conversational AI 2.0, an updated system that allows its agents to handle speech and text simultaneously for more fluid interactions.
  • AI News | VentureBeat: With Conversational AI 2.0, ElevenLabs aims to provide tools and infrastructure for truly intelligent, context-aware enterprise voice agents.
  • THE DECODER: Article about ElevenLabs' new AI voice system which enables smoother interactions.
  • www.producthunt.com: Product Hunt post on Conversational AI 2.0.

@news.microsoft.com //
References: Shelly Palmer , Ken Yeung , Ken Yeung ...
Microsoft has announced NLWeb, an open project aimed at transforming websites into AI-powered apps. This initiative seeks to simplify the creation of natural language interfaces for websites, enabling users to query site content using natural language, similar to interacting with an AI assistant. NLWeb leverages existing semi-structured formats like Schema.org and RSS, combining them with Large Language Model (LLM)-powered tools to create these interfaces.

Every NLWeb instance functions as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, allowing websites to make their content discoverable and accessible to AI agents. The project is technology agnostic, supporting all major operating systems, models, and vector databases. Microsoft envisions NLWeb playing a role similar to HTML in the emerging agentic web, empowering web publishers to participate on their terms and ensuring their websites can interact, transact, and be discovered by other agents.

NLWeb was conceived by R.V. Guha, a Microsoft CVP and Technical Fellow, who is also the creator of web standards like RSS and Schema.org. Early adopters, including TripAdvisor, Shopify, Eventbrite, Hearst, and O’Reilly, have already implemented NLWeb for various use cases, such as restaurant discovery and e-commerce product searches, all powered by conversational interfaces. Microsoft hopes NLWeb's open approach will foster widespread adoption, leading to a decentralized, agent-ready web.

Recommended read:
References :
  • Shelly Palmer: Microsoft’s New NLWeb
  • Ken Yeung: Microsoft Edge Lets Developers Add AI to Web Apps Without the Cloud
  • news.microsoft.com: Introducing NLWeb: Bringing conversational interfaces directly to the web
  • Ken Yeung: Microsoft’s NLWeb Project Turns Websites into Conversational Interfaces for AI Agents
  • blogs.microsoft.com: Microsoft Build 2025: The age of AI agents and building the open agentic web
  • AI Rabbit Blog: Beyond Google & Perplexity: How NLWeb Aims to Connect Your Site Directly to AI
  • shellypalmer.com: Microsoft's New NLWeb
  • AI News | VentureBeat: Microsoft's NLWeb protocol transforms websites into AI-powered applications with conversational interfaces, effectively turning them into interactive apps.
  • Microsoft Research: Microsoft's NLWeb protocol transforms websites into AI-powered applications with conversational interfaces, effectively turning them into interactive apps.
  • www.techradar.com: Microsoft's NLWeb protocol transforms websites into AI-powered applications with conversational interfaces, effectively turning them into interactive apps.

Ken Yeung@Ken Yeung //
References: Ken Yeung , techhq.com
Google is enhancing its Customer Engagement Suite with the addition of human-like AI agents, equipped with advanced capabilities like voice comprehension, emotional intelligence, and video support. This update aims to revolutionize call center experiences by enabling more interactive and personalized conversations. The new Conversational Agents can now understand and respond to customer emotions, and even "see" and address service tickets presented through video, providing a more comprehensive and engaging support experience. Duncan Lennox, Google’s VP and general manager of applied AI, emphasized the transformative potential of AI agents in fostering hyper-personalized, multimodal customer interactions across all touchpoints.

The latest release of the Customer Engagement Suite builds upon Google's Gemini models, particularly Gemini 2.5 Flash, to achieve a higher degree of comprehension and more human-like voice capabilities. Furthermore, Google is introducing an AI assistant with a no-code interface to facilitate the creation of custom agents, making it easier for organizations to build and deploy these advanced tools. The suite also includes new connector tools to streamline tasks like product lookups, shopping cart management, and checkout processing via API calls, further enriching the functionality of the AI-powered platform.

Launched in September 2024, the Customer Engagement Suite is an AI-driven platform designed to help organizations deliver better customer experiences. This end-to-end application combines Google's advanced conversational AI products with omni-channel contact center capabilities and the power of the Gemini model. In addition to these enhancements to the Customer Engagement Suite, Google Cloud is also focusing on multi-agent systems using Vertex AI. The Agent-to-Agent Protocol, an open standard championed by Google Cloud, is enabling AI agents to work together across different systems and vendors, fostering collaboration and improving overall efficiency.

Recommended read:
References :
  • Ken Yeung: Google’s Customer Engagement Suite Gets Human-Like AI Agents with Voice, Emotion, and Video Support
  • techhq.com: Google latest: Application-centric cloud, AI support, and WAN expansion

mpesce@Windows Copilot News //
Microsoft's AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, believes that conversational AI represents the future of web interaction, comparing it to the next generation of web browsers and search engines. He envisions a future where users can easily obtain information and assistance by simply using voice commands to interact with AI assistants like Copilot. Suleyman emphasizes the potential for conversational AI to become significantly more user-friendly, making it a go-to tool for a wide range of tasks.

Microsoft is actively developing new features for Copilot, including animated avatars for Voice Mode. Users can select between characters like Mika, Aqua, and Erin, each with a potentially unique voice, to personalize their experience. In addition, Microsoft Research has introduced Claimify, an innovative method that leverages large language models to extract more accurate and comprehensive claims from LLM outputs, enhancing the reliability of AI-generated content.

Recommended read:
References :
  • Windows Copilot News: Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says conversational AI is the next web browser
  • Microsoft Research: Claimify: Extracting high-quality claims from language model outputs
  • TestingCatalog: Microsoft working on adding animated avatars to Copilot Voice Mode