Beyond the Voice: What Actually Makes AI Agents Work

Voice AI has moved quickly from novelty to production. However, building an agent that can technically speak is very different from creating one that feels natural, responds effectively, and delivers real value. This panel will go beyond polished demos and industry hype to examine what happens when conversational AI is built, tested, deployed, and improved in real-world environments. The conversation will explore: • Why some voice agents feel natural while others immediately feel robotic • How much an AI agent should be scripted and when excessive prompting can hurt performance • What causes callers to disengage or hang up within the first few seconds • Which decisions should be made by the AI and which should be managed by software outside the conversation • Why sounding human is often more about behaviour than the voice model itself • How voice AI can be tested and evaluated at scale • Where voice AI is creating value today and where the technology still falls short • What founders have learned from putting these systems in front of real customers • Where the voice AI market may be heading next Featuring: • Chris Johnson - SaaS founder and operator with multiple exits, active investor, and startup community builder • Hasanpreet Singh - Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Orbis Assist • David Owasi (Moderator) - Chief Executive Officer, Outreach Genius Event Details: • Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM • Venue: The Saddlery on Market Whether you are a founder, investor, operator, developer, or simply curious about the future of conversational AI, you will leave with a clearer understanding of what it takes to make voice AI work in the real world. Come join us for networking afterwards! See you there!