Overview
Advanced Voice Mode for AI Student Assistants transforms institutions’ engagement with students by enabling natural, voice-driven conversations across multiple communication channels. This feature empowers Bolt AI Assistants to process and respond to spoken language in real time, creating more accessible and engaging interactions that mirror human conversation.
Each AI Assistant can be configured with a unique voice, ensuring consistent and personalized communication—whether students interact through messenger voice conversations or phone calls.
To use Advanced Voice Mode, users should make sure their device has a working microphone and that they have granted Messenger the necessary permissions for Element451 to access it.
Key Features + Considerations
Voice Processing Capabilities
Natural language understanding and real-time response generation
Context-aware conversations that maintain coherence
Voice customization options for different assistants
Availability and Access
Available on Messenger (Live Chat) and In-App Calling (Phone) channels
24/7 availability for student support
Immediate response capability
Scalable support without staffing constraints
Initiate AI-powered objective-based outbound calls
Voice + Messenger (Live Chat)
Enable Advanced Voice Mode within Element451's Messenger interface.
Students speak naturally with the AI Assistant directly within the Messenger widget.
Accessible wherever the Element451 Messenger is enabled (Element451 Pages, your institution's website, and StudentHub).
Supports real-time, two-way voice conversations
Messenger also supports recorded voice messages.
Important Notes
For an AI Assistant to reply in voice, they must have an assigned voice profile. We cover this in more detail below in Voice Configuration Requirements.
To use Advanced Voice Mode on Messenger, users should make sure their device has a working microphone and that they have granted Messenger the necessary permissions for Element451 to access it.
Voice + In-App Calling (Phone)*
For partners using our In-App Calling feature, you can enable Advanced Voice Mode to provide traditional phone-based support through AI Assistants.
Students speak naturally with the AI Assistant, either through an inbound or outbound call.
Staff can initiate objective-driven outbound calls by:
Specifying which AI Assistant will conduct the call.
Defining specific objectives and instructions to guide the AI Assistant during the conversation.
Assign dedicated phone numbers to specific AI Assistants.
Select a transfer phone number where calls should be forwarded if a student requests to speak to a human.
*AI-powered outbound calling capabilities are available as a premium feature. Contact your Customer Success Manager for pricing and activation details.
Voice Configuration Requirements
You must assign a voice profile to enable an AI Assistant to be voice-compatible. To do this, follow these steps:
Navigate to Engagement > Bolt Assistants.
Under the Assistants section, locate the Assistant you wish to assign a voice to.
Click on the three vertical dots
for that Assistant and select Edit.Locate the Voice setting and select one from the list. The options include alloy, echo, shimmer, ballad, coral, sage, ash, and verse.
To preview the voice, select it and then click the play icon to hear an example.
Click Save in the top right corner.
Identifying Assistants with Voices
In Bolt Assistant settings (Engagement > Bolt Assistants), you’ll find a microphone icon next to each Assistant with an assigned voice, indicating they are compatible with Advanced Voice Mode.
Troubleshooting
Microphone Permission Error
This error occurs when using Advanced Voice Mode in Messenger from an external website (not Element451 pages). It primarily affects Chrome and Firefox users and originates from the website’s Permissions-Policy header, which may block microphone access within our <iframe>.
Solution: To resolve this, update your website’s headers to allow microphone access. This change will enable the browser to recognize and use the microphone within the iframe for Advanced Voice Mode.