Deep Learning with PolyAI

Send us Fan Mail We all know AI agents can answer calls (with varying success rates depending upon their sophistication). But what if AI agents could also help CX leaders analyze their deployments, ask questions about their unique challenges and opportunities, and continuously improve? In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Damian Sasso, Group PM at PolyAI, to e...

Send us Fan Mail 🚨 OpenAI just made its Realtime API generally available, and it's got everyone talking. But is it a true game-changer, or just another update? In this episode, your host Nikola Mrkšić (Co-founder & CEO, PolyAI) is joined by Shawn Wen (Co-founder and CTO, PolyAI) to break down what this release really means: 🔹 Why Realtime API could kill the old turn-taking model 🔹 How...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what really makes an AI voice feel human? In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, an all-star panel from our dialogue design and engineering teams takes you behind-the-scenes to share how the hardest part of CX automation actually works. From latency and personalization to multichannel design and our in-house Raven model, they break down the science (and the art)...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, your host Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Matt Henderson, VP of Research at PolyAI, to unpack the state of large language models, their quirks, and what really matters when building smarter voice agents for customer service. Join us for a discussion on: - Why GPT-5 may feel more incremental than game-changing - Why reasoning models can fail at surprisingly simple tas...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Jeppesen, who serves as Director, Contact Center Operations at Fertitta Entertainment, joined your host Nikola Mrkšić to discuss his vision for the AI-powered contact center. Listen to hear Nikola and Brian cover: • How to overcome the challenges of staffing call centers during high-demand periods, including with virtual agents • Their reaction to the Keep Call Centers in Am...

Send us Fan Mail Following up from Nikola Mrkšić and Nathan Benaich's recent article for Fortune -- ‘AI rollup’ investors think services firms can trade more like software companies. Here’s what they get wrong. Read here -- https://fortune.com/2025/06/27/ai-rollup-investment-strategy/ The buzz around AI roll-ups - buying low-margin service businesses and turning them into high-margin software...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nikola is joined by Becky Kershaw, Deployments Lead at PolyAI. Becky shares how using her own British accent for AI voice cloning increased engagement in outbound sales, showing the power of personalization and cultural fit. They also discuss the crucial role of forward-deployed engineers—AI engineers, product managers, and dialogue designers—who immerse themselves in t...

Send us Fan Mail PolyAI co-founder and CTO Shawn Wen joins Nikola for a deep dive into the just-released OpenAI GPT-5 model. From model-flipping and 4o's depreciation to curbing sycophancy and determining which LLM out there is #1 for coding, they cover it all. Join us for a discussion on: • OpenAI's bold approach to upgrading and removing models 2 • Hands-on experiences with GPT-5 and i...

Send us Fan Mail Fortune article: http://fortune.com/2025/06/27/ai-rollup-investment-strategy/ Nikola reflects on his recent Fortune commentary (above) into the transformative potential of AI rollup strategies in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). He and Damien discuss the concept of AI rollups (where private equity firms consolidate service companies to create more efficient, tech-enabled busine...

Send us Fan Mail Nikola and Damien are back to discuss the ongoing evolution of AI in the contact center industry. We'll explore whether AI is truly replacing human workers or simply augmenting their capabilities, covering Klarna's automation efforts and recent Gartner predictions, and analyzing the challenges and opportunities in implementing AI solutions. We touch on essential aspects...

Send us Fan Mail VP of Product Marketing Brian Thompson joins Nikola to discuss the current state and future prospects of AI in financial services, including banking and insurance. The chat covers the importance of human oversight in AI deployments, the evolving landscape in banking and FinTech, optimization of back-office processes, and how financial institutions are leveraging generative AI. Bri...

Send us Fan Mail Damien and Nikola are back to discuss the transformative impact of generative AI in our everyday lives. The conversation covers everything from the rise of LLMs in personal development and therapy to DIY projects and coding. Discover how generative AI is reshaping industries, solving everyday problems, and why it's gaining traction in fields like legal services and medical ad...

Send us Fan Mail Guest host Meghan Berton and VP of Engineering Razvan Kusztos cover the release of PolyAI's Owl ASR model, while dishing goss on the intricacies of developing high-performing speech recognition models. They discuss the significance of in-house SLU tech, the challenges of ensuring accuracy across different accents and environments, and the benefits of using synthetic data. The...

Send us Fan Mail Damien and Nikola discuss the brave initiatives taken by executives in the field of generative AI, their successes, and challenges. Nikola Mrkšić, CEO and co-founder of PolyAI, shares insights on differentiation in the generative AI space, the viability of build vs. buy decisions, and the importance of proof of concept in AI projects. The episode sheds light on the technological a...

Send us Fan Mail Damien and Nikola discuss the implications of AI-first approaches in industries, with a focus on how companies like Duolingo and Klarna are navigating the AI transformation. We explore the concept of an intelligent enterprise operating system and debate whether traditional companies can adapt quickly enough. Additionally, we examine the potential impacts on human employment and st...

Send us Fan Mail In this buzzy episode, Damien hosts PolyAI's Senior Vice President of Product, Devidas Desai, to announce the launch of Agent Studio, the world's only voice-first omnichannel CX platform for AI agents. Devidas provides an in-depth look into what Agent Studio is and discusses how the platform has been rigorously tested with live enterprise deployments and includes proprie...

Send us Fan Mail Damien and Nikola are back to discuss the impact of removing toll-free numbers for government services, focusing on the DOGE/Social Security Administration's briefly considered decision. They explore the potential operational and cost-saving implications of voice AI in government services, the challenges of optimizing such large systems, and the long-term strategies for digit...

Send us Fan Mail Nikola and Damien chew the fat about developments from AI giants Anthropic and OpenAI, comparing their new models: Claude 3.7 and GPT-4.5 Orion, and where they place in the consumer and enterprise markets. We also touch on OAI's specialized agents for hire, Amazon's new agentic AI division and the recent stance of the US Patent Office on AI-generated content. Follow Poly...

Send us Fan Mail In the closing episode of Deep Learning's deep dive on telephony, Nikola and Oisin discuss innovative ideas in telephony, especially the concept of using a universal AI ringtone to replace lengthy warnings and terms during calls. They debate the efficacy of this idea and its potential global impact on user experience. They also touch on the challenges of integrating AI within...

Send us Fan Mail The second episode of a three-part miniseries sees Deep Learning with PolyAI continue exploring the intricate world of telephony and VoIP! Nikola welcomes back Oisin Glenn, VP of Solutions Consulting, to chat about the historical development, current technologies, and the complexities of modern telephony. They discuss everything from PBX systems, VoIP protocols, and the rise of We...

Send us Fan Mail Nikola welcomes Oisin Glynn, VP of Solution Consulting, to discuss the fascinating history and evolution of modern telephony. Going back to the inception of telephone systems, from their early manual connections to the adoption of the PSTN and the advent of private branch exchanges (PBX), the conversation touches on the impact of the internet and mobile telephony on traditional ph...

Send us Fan Mail ** Check out the report that inspired the episode ** Damien welcomes PolyAI's senior director of brand, Kylie Whitehead, to discuss the findings from two comprehensive surveys highlighting trends in customer experience (CX) and contact center leadership. Learn about the evolving roles of CX leaders and the increasing influence of AI, as well as the differing sentiments of con...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus breaking news episode of the Deep Learning with PolyAI podcast! Hosts Damien and Nikola chat about the recent release of DeepSeek's open-source R1 model, which has sparked widespread reaction across the tech world. The R1 model, created with limited resources, has matched or exceeded benchmarks of leading models from OpenAI and Meta, prompting discussions on its potenti...

Send us Fan Mail Kylie takes the helm for this episode of Deep Learning with Poly AI, where she and PolyAI CEO Nikola Mrkšić chat(no GPT) about OpenAI's latest innovation: the Operator agent. From the concept of AI performing tasks such as ordering groceries, booking travel, and making restaurant reservations, to live demos of agentic requests, Kylie and Nikola butt heads on overall impact an...

Send us Fan Mail Damien and Nikola (CEO & Co-Founder of PolyAI) talk about the recently announced AI Opportunities Action Plan. The conversation highlights the UK’s historical contributions to AI, the challenges it faces due to American tech dominance, and the strategic moves to build a competitive AI ecosystem. They touch on the importance of infrastructure, talent attraction, public sector e...