Share

cover art for Agony Agent Roundtable #2

VUX World

Agony Agent Roundtable #2

In this episode of Agony Agent, Ben McCulloch welcomes conversation design experts Ilana Meir and Peter Isaacs to tackle pressing issues faced by conversation AI designers. Ilana, a freelance conversation designer with extensive experience in AR, VR, and healthcare, and Peter, a senior conversation design advocate at Voiceflow, share insights on improving bot interactions, overcoming organisational challenges, and leveraging large language models (LLMs).


Key topics include how to navigate archaic systems when designing seamless user experiences, managing sentiment analysis in conversation design, and balancing the demands of impulsive sales teams with technical developers. They also discuss the impact of context switching for designers managing multiple brands and the challenges of fine-tuning LLMs for scalable AI solutions.


This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the conversational AI industry, offering practical advice on how to combine technical and creative expertise to build better, more human-like interactions. Whether you're refining chatbots or introducing generative AI, you'll find valuable strategies to implement right away.


00:00.0 Intro

04:58.5 Creating beautiful interactions with archaic solutions

11:05.2 Learn sentiment analysis and do emotionally sensitive conversation design

17:19.6 Educating user to speak so the NLU understands

21:17.1 Using LLMs for intent recognition

22:54.1 Meaningful success metrics

27:49.1 Advocating for a holistic view between competing stakeholders

32:38.2 Balancing Gen AI obsession with its abilities

37:30.0 How to build a chatbot that matches ChatGPT

39:19.6 Preparation before building

40:47.1 Think about frameworks where conversations will happen

41:56.6 Finetuning LLMs

44:33.6 Making people see value of CAI and experts

46:17.6 Is chatgpt a good way to show what CAI can do?

47:47.1 CXD for SaaS services with LLM solutions

51:52.1 How to advocate for your role

54:19.6 Context switching multiple brands in a services organisation as a manager

58:24.6 How to go beyond information provided by client when training an assistant

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Unlocking the Contact Centres Untapped Potential with Generative AI

    01:00:23|
    In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the transformative potential of generative AI in the contact center industry. The discussion explores how this cutting-edge technology can enable new mindsets and move beyond incremental improvements, fundamentally reshaping the way organizations approach customer service and support.At the heart of the conversation is the concept of "Customer Value Exchange" (CVX) - the idea of turning contact centers from traditional cost centers into strategic value centers that can provide invaluable insights to drive business growth. The guests explain how the Here AI platform leverages a unique blend of small and large language models, as well as fine-tuned models, to achieve reliability and cost-efficiency in analyzing customer interactions.By providing a detailed, data-driven understanding of conversations, the platform empowers managers to make informed, strategic decisions that directly impact the customer experience and the overall business. The guests emphasize the importance of intuitive user interfaces, allowing managers to interact with the platform using natural language queries and extract meaningful insights with ease.The discussion also explores the technical architecture of the Here AI solution and how it seamlessly integrates with existing contact center infrastructure, ensuring a smooth transition without disrupting core operations. This level of flexibility and adaptability is crucial as the industry navigates the future trends, including the increasing hybridization of human and AI agents, and the growing complexity in managing these hybrid contact center environments.Importantly, the guests highlight the potential for the Here AI platform to continue providing value as the contact center industry evolves, even as AI automation takes on more lower-level tasks. By focusing on the "Customer Value Exchange" and empowering managers with data-driven insights, the platform aims to elevate the strategic role of contact centers and unlock new avenues for business growth and customer satisfaction.Overall, this thought-provoking episode offers a glimpse into the transformative power of generative AI in the contact center industry, showcasing how innovative solutions like the Here AI platform can redefine the customer experience landscape and drive tangible business impact.In this episode - 00:00 Introduction to customer experience, business transformation, and AI 02:15 The role of digital assistants in customer experience 07:42 Evaluating the effectiveness of digital assistants 14:02 Understanding customer needs through digital interactions 19:50 The goal of creating seamless customer experiences 31:30 Assessing AI technology and education maturity 37:45 Prioritizing areas of focus for AI implementation 45:22 Integrating AI across multiple customer channels 51:10 Enabling natural conversations with AI assistants 1:01:55 Customizing AI assistant voices and personalities 1:07:25 Concluding thoughts on the future of AI in CX
  • Navigating CX: Lean, AI, and Customer-Centric Transformation

    01:04:18|
    Join us as we dive into the evolving landscape of customer experience with Alannah Martin, Value Owner at Ovo Energy. From applying Lean Six Sigma principles to tackling inefficiencies, to scaling conversational AI for real-world impact, we explore how technology and human-centric design drive innovation in service industries. Discover the secrets behind successful chatbots, operational alignment, and reducing cognitive load for both customers and employees. Whether you’re a CX enthusiast or an automation advocate, this episode is packed with actionable insights and forward-thinking strategies for the new age of customer engagement.
  • Agentic AI and LLMs, what to expect in 2025

    56:12|
    Mike Myer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quiq, the generative AI conversational automation platform that's been making noise in recent months, with a flurry of genAI use cases in production with a whole host of enterprise brands. Mike joins me to discuss where we are with agentic AI adoption and trends he's observed in 2024 as well as forecasted trends and considerations for 2025.
  • Bridging the Generative AI Gap: Governance, Quality, and Enterprise Adoption

    50:37|
    Every big tech company is working on foundational generative AI models and promises that the future will be different. Yet…Large Enterprises have generative AI policies in place now that prohibit the usage of the technology. There is a gap in the middle on an opportunity emerging surrounding quality assurance and governance for generative AI applications that will enable the technology to meet its potential whilst satisfying the concerns of enterprise.The company that is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this is Cyara. So I sat down with CEO Rishi Rana to discuss this and much more.Make sure to visit Cyara
  • Let's RAG and roll: the role of content in LLM applications

    55:38|
    Generative AI is often marketed as a magical tool—just upload your data and let the model do the heavy lifting. But the reality is far from simple. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) doesn’t work without thoughtful preparation, clear strategy, and, most importantly, quality content.In this episode, we dive deep into the critical role content plays in the success of AI systems like RAG. Join us as we speak with seasoned content strategists and AI industry experts who have been on the frontlines of managing and optimizing knowledge bases for AI use cases. We’ll explore why the future of AI isn’t about replacing writers—it’s about empowering content designers, technical writers, and knowledge architects to create structured, optimized, and actionable information that AI can truly work with.If you’ve ever wondered why your AI project underdelivered or how to transform legacy content into a powerful AI resource, this episode is for you.
  • The future of AI orchestration with Dmitry Shapiro of MindStudio

    01:00:33|
    Dmitry is the CEO of MindStudio, an AI automation platform that's raised $36m in funding to bring AI automation into the hands of businesses. With a background at Google and ServiceNow, Dmitry has a wealth of experience in building product teams that delivery immense value. He joins me today to share how MindStudio is enabling AI transformation across the board.This episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​Visit - https://www.mindstudio.ai/
  • Getting AI into the enterprise with Stephan Schuessler, Deloitte

    43:56|
    Join us as Stephan Schuessler dives into the exciting world of AI in the enterprise. In this discussion, we explore how to effectively launch AI initiatives within organizations, navigating the challenges that often arise. Whether you're just starting your AI journey or looking to optimize existing projects, this conversation will provide actionable strategies for driving AI adoption and long-term success in the enterprise.This episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​
  • AI and the super-powered future with Jeremy Kahn, Fortune

    01:03:26|
    Jeremy Kahn has reported extensively on #technology and business covering #AI for the last years, first at Bloomberg and currently at #Fortune with excellent contacts across the field. Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future, by Kahn, is a timely exploration of the transformative impact of #ChatGPT and the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. We chat about AI's potential to disrupt industries, reshape society, and challenge our understanding of human intelligence. As AI becomes an integral part of our world, Kahn's expertise offers a crucial perspective on navigating both its benefits and risks.This episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​
  • The AI revolution in recruitment with Martyn Redstone

    50:49|
    Martyn Redstone is a long-standing member of the conversational AI community and is the Founder of Bot-Jobs.com, the go-to jobs board for AI. Martyn joins me to share some new insights on the conversational AI jobs market, the impact that generative AI is having in the #recruitment space and some examples of use cases and value being explored in the sector. Bot JobsThis episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​