David Casem, CEO at Telnyx, discussed how multimodal AI is revolutionizing business communications.
According to Casem, what was once just “a fancy IVR” has evolved rapidly, with costs decreasing significantly. He predicts that within a year, we’ll see AI reach “superhuman” capabilities while becoming more affordable for businesses of all sizes.
The power of multimodal AI lies in its ability to operate across multiple channels simultaneously. “Being multimodal is going to be critical to avoid disjointed conversations,” Casem explains, allowing businesses to better serve customer needs across voice, text, and visual interfaces.
This technology is already transforming several industries. In travel, AI manages bookings and complex itineraries. Healthcare applications include appointment scheduling and insurance verification, while logistics companies use it to handle shipping requests previously requiring extensive human interaction.
Contrary to popular belief, sounding human isn’t the most important aspect of voice AI. “If you were able to connect to an AI agent that didn’t sound great but solved your problem, most people would choose that experience,” says Casem.
Integration with existing systems and AI memory – allowing systems to recall customer preferences and previous interactions – are crucial for success. Telnyx positions itself as an “AI orchestration layer,” minimizing latency between components for optimal performance.
While adoption remains in the early stages, Casem believes we’re approaching a tipping point: “You either adopt it or you don’t make it.” Within three years, he predicts AI-human interactions may become indistinguishable, transforming customer engagement across industries.
