An AI voice agent is software that conducts spoken conversations and can use connected tools to perform tasks. Voice-agent systems can combine speech recognition, a language model, speech generation and business-system integrations; testing therefore needs to cover both the conversation and the actions it takes. (docs.vapi.ai)
For procurement, use the following distinctions rather than relying on product names:
| Buying category | What you should ask it to demonstrate |
|---|---|
| IVR or routing automation | Correctly route callers or complete a tightly structured self-service interaction. |
| AI receptionist | Answer, identify the request, capture information, book within scope or arrange an appropriate handoff. |
| Transactional voice agent | Complete an authorised action and provide evidence that the operational system changed correctly. |
| Agent assistance | Help an employee perform the work; do not count the interaction as autonomous completion. |
These are working purchasing definitions, not a claim that suppliers use the labels consistently.
Ask one decisive question: “What will exist in our system after the call that does not exist before it?” A transcript is evidence of a conversation. A correctly created appointment, updated case or accepted human handoff is evidence of an operational result.