<p>Voice AI is having its moment, but pretty soon every company will be a voice company.</p><p>Olivia Moore is the author of a16z’s<a target="_blank" href="https://a16z.com/ai-voice-agents-2025-update/"> market report on voice AI agents</a>, which is a must-read if you’re interested in the space. </p><p>She’s an amazing thinker and we cover a lot in this conversation, including:</p><p>* Olivia's thesis that Voice AI is in it’s “internet in 1999” moment</p><p>* The "wedge" strategy: using Voice AI to get in the door before transforming broader business operations</p><p>* How recruiting became a surprising early adopter of Voice AI (candidates actually prefer it)</p><p>* Voice AI's unique ability to handle compliance and stay on-script in regulated industries</p><p>* Shifting from per-minute pricing to transaction-based fees or success metrics</p><p>* Why big tech platforms (OpenAI, Google) won't dominate vertical-specific voice applications</p><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p>* Olivia on X: <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/omooretweets">https://x.com/omooretweets</a> (must-follow!)</p><p>* Her <a target="_blank" href="https://a16z.com/ai-voice-agents-2025-update/">market report on voice AI agents</a></p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://classicreload.com/dr-sbaitso.html">Dr Sbaitso emulator</a> - this was packaged with new Sound Blaster sound cards! Strange stuff.</p><p><strong>Chapters</strong>0:00 Intro and welcome1:24 Olivia's first AI "aha" moments 3:42 Coolest non-voice AI tools6:29 How Olivia got into the Voice AI space10:03 From consumer to enterprise13:50 DMV-bot16:22 Voice AI as a wedge20:57 Traction in the voice market24:24 Voice AI for recruiting28:59 Why AI doesn't go off-script31:03 Better experiences for candidates and customers33:24 The future of call centers37:02 Bear cases for Voice AI41:25 Open problems44:29 Pricing47:12 Working with twin sister Justine50:11 Three things Olivia's excited about </p><p><strong>Subscribe</strong> and listen: https://smartspeakers.fm</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.smartspeakers.fm?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">www.smartspeakers.fm</a>
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