Next generation AI allows for more natural agent conversations
St. Louis, MO — Balto has released its next generation of intent-based conversational dialogue models, raising the bar in conversational guidance capability, and reaffirming the company’s reputation as the premier real-time guidance platform for contact centers.
Using state-of-the-art deep learning techniques, Balto’s conversational dialogue modeling has been the gold standard for AI-powered real-time guidance during calls. With the latest generation of intent-based language processing, Balto’s proprietary AI library and Smart Checklist are now even smarter, recognizing the true intention of the speaker — be it an agent or customer — and allowing for more natural conversation to take place while maintaining script integrity.
Mike Goldstein, VP of Engineering at Balto, elaborates on the upgrade, “Before we were decoding in a very syntactically based way, looking for pattern-matches. That works really well in a lot of use cases. If you have a very strict standard, that’s ok. But that can be restrictive to agents. Our next generation of intent-based natural language processing allows agents to be more natural in their conversations and still hit script marks.”
The intent-based language processing enhancements augment the company’s existing real-time guidance platform by relying less on specific keywords. Going beyond the AI’s ability to hear “trigger” words that would then prompt a subtle nudge to agents during calls, the new model identifies and decodes synonyms, rephrasing, paraphrasing, substitutions, and common idiomatic expressions. A good example of this intent-based decoding is when a customer says “that will hurt my pocketbook.” The AI is able to recognize that phrase as a sales objection in real time, and then prompt the agent with ways to handle the objection.
This next generation of intent-based language processing has already been rolled out to Balto customers, and is the first wave of several for 2022. Customers should notice immediate flexibility in their agent conversations. For more rigid call scripts that necessitate strict compliance marks by agents, the processing enhancements can be disabled.
About Balto
Balto guides agents to say the right thing on every call. Top-performing contact centers trust Balto’s AI-powered Real-Time Guidance, Real-Time Coaching, and Real-Time QA to increase sales conversions, prevent costly compliance mistakes, and improve customer experience. Founded in 2017 and based in St. Louis, Missouri, Balto has transformed contact center operations and guided over 100 million conversations worldwide. balto.ai
Maria Edington
Maria Edington is the Vice President of Marketing at Balto, where she works closely with contact center leaders to improve how teams function day-to-day and plan for what’s ahead. Over the past five years, she’s led initiatives focused on performance, quality, compliance, and the practical use of AI across the contact center floor. Her experience spans complex, high-volume industries including Medicare, P&C insurance, financial services, collections, home improvement, and banking—sectors where conversations are tightly regulated, high-stakes, and often the last mile of the customer experience. Maria has contributed to research on Medicare Advantage trends, MedPAC policy, and eBroker financial performance, and regularly works with operators navigating shifting compliance requirements and productivity demands. With a background in engineering, Maria brings a systems-level mindset to how contact centers work—and how they can work better. Her focus: helping contact centers modernize—adopting smarter tools, better habits, and a stronger foundation for what’s ahead.
