In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson are joined by Rishab Kumar, Staff Developer Evangelist at Twilio, to explore the evolving landscape of voice and AI interactions. They discuss the rise of conversational AI, how voice interfaces are becoming the natural medium for human-computer interaction, and the tools and best practices for integrating AI into real-world applications. Rishab shares insights from Twilio on building voice-enabled AI experiences, tackling challenges like latency and prompt design, and how AI is shaping the future of productivity and problem-solving. The conversation also highlights community-focused events, like the upcoming Commit Your Code Conference in Dallas, where networking, learning, and giving back to charity take center stage.

Key Takeaways:

- Voice interfaces are becoming more natural and conversational, moving beyond simple commands to context-aware, agentic interactions that can assist with tasks in real time.

- AI is being integrated into real-world use cases, from coding assistants and productivity tools to hands-on guidance for tasks like furniture assembly, car troubleshooting, and lab work.

- Platforms like Twilio provide APIs, Conversation Relay, and integrations with voice models to streamline AI voice interactions, handling challenges like latency, speech-to-text, and interruption management.

- There’s a growing need for specialized, reliable AI tools tailored to specific industries and tasks, as well as careful consideration of ethical implications, user trust, and contextual accuracy.

Rishab Kumar on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishabkumar7/

Rob Ocel on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robocel/

Danny Thompson on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dthompsondev/

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