Tags: customer experience

Sierra, the AI startup founded by former Salesforce co‑CEO Bret Taylor, announced a $950 million financing round led by Tiger Global and GV. The infusion lifts the company’s post‑money valuation above $15 billion and gives it more than $1 billion to pursue its goal of becoming the global standard for AI‑powered customer experiences. Sierra now serves over 40% of the Fortune 50, claims its agents handle billions of interactions, and has accelerated its annual recurring revenue from $100 million to $150 million in just a few months. Read more

Google introduced Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, a real‑time voice model designed to sound more like a person. In Scale AI’s Audio MultiChallenge the model scored 36.1 percent, trailing non‑conversational audio models that exceed 50 percent. The new system embeds SynthID watermarks that are invisible to listeners but detectable for verification. Early partners—including Home Depot and Verizon—reported positive results. Developers can access the model via AI Studio, the Gemini API, and Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, with the technology appearing in Gemini Live and Search Live features. Read more

Enterprises often launch AI agents to solve a narrow, high‑impact problem and quickly see success in a single channel. That early win can mask a hidden risk: the system was built for one channel only. When organizations later try to expand the AI experience across voice, chat, messaging, and other touchpoints, they encounter duplicated logic, extra integrations, and governance challenges. An omnichannel‑first architectural approach, where the intelligence and workflows are shared across all interfaces, avoids these pitfalls and enables smoother scaling, better governance, and sustained value. Read more

ElevenLabs, the AI voice‑generation startup, announced it has reached $330 million in annual recurring revenue. The company, founded in 2022 and launched its first product in 2023, achieved rapid growth, hitting $100 million ARR in 20 months, $200 million in 10 months and the current level in five months. Fortune 500 firms and emerging startups are adopting its voice‑agent platform, which powers customer support and experience interactions. Enterprises have deployed the technology to handle more than 50,000 calls each month. The firm recently closed a $180 million Series C round co‑led by a16z and ICONIQ Growth, pushing its valuation to $3.3 billion, and later secured an additional $100 million from ICONIQ and Sequoia. ElevenLabs also expanded its offerings with music‑creation tools and celebrity voice partnerships. Read more

Retail leaders are integrating agentic AI into both online and brick‑and‑mortar channels to enhance customer service, streamline supply chains, and personalize product discovery. A recent Brunswick survey of over 5,000 consumers revealed mixed emotions—half nervous, half excited—yet a clear preference for human interaction when possible. Retailers are balancing rapid AI advances, highlighted by breakthroughs over the past 18 months, with the need for authenticity, transparency, and ethical use, especially as virtual influencers and AI avatars become commonplace. The industry’s success hinges on pairing technology with a human‑centric approach. Read more

Voice remains the dominant channel for high‑stakes customer interactions, and artificial intelligence is giving it a fresh, powerful boost. New speech‑recognition and natural‑language‑processing technologies let AI understand context, emotion, and nuance, turning traditional IVR menus into conversational assistants. AI works alongside human agents, delivering real‑time data, response suggestions, and sentiment analysis, which reduces friction and improves resolution rates. The technology also harvests insights from thousands of calls, helping businesses spot trends, fix root causes, and enhance inclusivity. Companies that integrate AI‑enhanced voice into a seamless, omnichannel experience can deliver faster, more personal service while maintaining brand consistency. Read more