ElevenLabs debuts Conversational AI 2.0 voice assistants that understand when to pause, speak, and take turns talking

AI is advancing at a rapid clip for businesses, and that’s especially true of speech and voice AI models.

Case in point: Today, ElevenLabs, the well-funded voice and AI sound effects startup founded by former Palantir engineers, debuted Conversational AI 2.0, a significant upgrade to its platform for building advanced voice agents for enterprise use cases, such as customer support, call centers, and outbound sales and marketing.

This update introduces a host of new features designed to create more natural, intelligent, and secure interactions, making it well-suited for enterprise-level applications.

The launch comes just four months after the debut of the original platform, reflecting ElevenLabs’ commitment to rapid development, and a day after rival voice AI startup Hume launched its own new, turn-based voice AI model, EVI 3.

It also comes after new open source AI voice models hit the scene, prompting some AI influencers to declare ElevenLabs dead. It seems those declarations were, naturally, premature.

According to Jozef Marko from ElevenLabs’ engineering team, Conversational AI 2.0 is substantially better than its predecessor, setting a new standard for voice-driven experiences.

Enhancing naturalistic speech

A key highlight of Conversational AI 2.0 is its state-of-the-art turn-taking model.

This technology is designed to handle the nuances of human conversation, eliminating awkward pauses or interruptions that can occur in traditional voice systems.

By analyzing conversational cues like hesitations and filler words in real-time, the agent can understand when to speak and when to listen.

This feature is particularly relevant for applications such as customer service, where agents must balance quick responses with the natural rhythms of a conversation.

Multilingual support

Conversational AI 2.0 also introduces integrated language detection, enabling seamless multilingual discussions without the need for manual configuration.

This capability ensures that the agent can recognize the language spoken by the user and respond accordingly within the same interaction.

The feature caters to global enterprises seeking consistent service for diverse customer bases, removing language barriers and fostering more inclusive experiences.

Enterprise-grade

One of the more powerful additions is the built-in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system. This feature allows the AI to access external knowledge bases and retrieve relevant information instantly, while maintaining minimal latency and strong privacy protections.

For example, in healthcare settings, this means a medical assistant agent can pull up treatment guidelines directly from an institution’s database without delay. In customer support, agents can access up-to-date product details from internal documentation to assist users more effectively.

Multimodality and alternate personas

In addition to these core features, ElevenLabs’ new platform supports multimodality, meaning agents can communicate via voice, text, or a combination of both. This flexibility reduces the engineering burden on developers, as agents only need to be defined once to operate across different communication channels.

Further enhancing agent expressiveness, Conversational AI 2.0 allows multi-character mode, enabling a single agent to switch between different personas. This capability could be valuable in scenarios such as creative content development, training simulations, or customer engagement campaigns.

Batch outbound calling

For enterprises looking to automate large-scale outreach, the platform now supports batch calls.\

Organizations can initiate multiple outbound calls simultaneously using Conversational AI agents, an approach well-suited for surveys, alerts, and personalized messages.

This feature aims to increase both reach and operational efficiency, offering a more scalable alternative to manual outbound efforts.

Enterprise-grade standards and pricing plans

Beyond the features that enhance communication and engagement, Conversational AI 2.0 places a strong emphasis on trust and compliance. The platform is fully HIPAA-compliant, a critical requirement for healthcare applications that demand strict privacy and data protection. It also supports optional EU data residency, aligning with data sovereignty requirements in Europe.

ElevenLabs reinforces these compliance-focused features with enterprise-grade security and reliability. Designed for high availability and integration with third-party systems, Conversational AI 2.0 is positioned as a secure and dependable choice for businesses operating in sensitive or regulated environments.

As far as pricing is concerned, here are the available subscription plans that include Conversational AI currently listed on ElevenLabs’ website:

• Free: $0/month, includes 15 minutes, 4 concurrency limit, requires attribution and no commercial licensing.
• Starter: $5/month, includes 50 minutes, 6 concurrency limit.
• Creator: $11/month (discounted from $22), includes 250 minutes, 6 concurrency limit, ~$0.12 per additional minute.
• Pro: $99/month, includes 1,100 minutes, 10 concurrency limit, ~$0.11 per additional minute.
• Scale: $330/month, includes 3,600 minutes, 20 concurrency limit, ~$0.10 per additional minute.
• Business: $1,320/month, includes 13,750 minutes, 30 concurrency limit, ~$0.096 per additional minute.

A new chapter in realistic, naturalistic AI voice interactions

As stated in the company’s video introducing the new release, “The potential of conversational AI has never been greater. The time to build is now.”

With Conversational AI 2.0, ElevenLabs aims to provide the tools and infrastructure for enterprises to create truly intelligent, context-aware voice agents that elevate the standard of digital interactions.

For those interested in learning more, ElevenLabs encourages developers and organizations to explore its documentation, visit the developer portal, or reach out to the sales team to see how Conversational AI 2.0 can enhance their customer experiences.