---
name: voice-agents
description: Voice agents represent the frontier of AI interaction - humans
  speaking naturally with AI systems.
risk: safe
source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0)
date_added: 2026-02-27
---

# Voice Agents

Voice agents represent the frontier of AI interaction - humans speaking
naturally with AI systems. The challenge isn't just speech recognition
and synthesis, it's achieving natural conversation flow with sub-800ms
latency while handling interruptions, background noise, and emotional
nuance.

This skill covers two architectures: speech-to-speech (OpenAI Realtime API,
lowest latency, most natural) and pipeline (STT→LLM→TTS, more control,
easier to debug). Key insight: latency is the constraint. Humans expect
responses in 500ms. Every millisecond matters.

84% of organizations are increasing voice AI budgets in 2025. This is the
year voice agents go mainstream.

## Detailed Guide

Read [the detailed guide](references/detailed-guide.md) before executing this skill. It retains the complete procedure and reference material. Treat its safety, prerequisites, and validation requirements as mandatory. For focused work, load the relevant sections; for end-to-end work, read the guide completely.

## Production Pipeline Example
"""
import { Deepgram } from '@deepgram/sdk';
import { ElevenLabsClient } from 'elevenlabs';
import OpenAI from 'openai';

// Initialize clients
const deepgram = new Deepgram(process.env.DEEPGRAM_API_KEY);
const elevenlabs = new ElevenLabsClient();
const openai = new OpenAI();

async function processVoiceInput(audioStream) {
  // 1. Speech-to-Text (Deepgram Nova-3)
  const transcription = await deepgram.transcription.live({
    model: 'nova-3',
    punctuate: true,
    endpointing: 300,  // ms of silence before end
  });

  transcription.on('transcript', async (data) => {
    if (data.is_final && data.speech_final) {
      const userText = data.channel.alternatives[0].transcript;
      console.log('User:', userText);

      // 2. LLM Processing
      const completion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
        model: 'gpt-4o-mini',
        messages: [
          { role: 'system', content: 'You are a concise voice assistant.' },
          { role: 'user', content: userText }
        ],
        max_tokens: 150,  // Keep responses short for voice
      });

      const agentText = completion.choices[0].message.content;
      console.log('Agent:', agentText);

      // 3. Text-to-Speech (ElevenLabs)
      const audioStream = await elevenlabs.textToSpeech.stream({
        voice_id: 'voice_id_here',
        text: agentText,
        model_id: 'eleven_flash_v2_5',  // Lowest latency
      });

      // Stream to user
      playAudioStream(audioStream);
    }
  });

  // Pipe audio to transcription
  audioStream.pipe(transcription);
}
"""

### Optimization Tips:
- Start TTS while LLM still generating (streaming)
- Pre-compute first response segment during user speech
- Use Flash/turbo models for latency

### Voice Activity Detection Pattern

Detect when user starts/stops speaking

**When to use**: All voice agents need VAD for turn-taking

# VOICE ACTIVITY DETECTION (VAD):

"""
VAD Types:
1. Energy-based: Simple, fast, noise-sensitive
2. Model-based: Silero VAD, more accurate
3. Semantic VAD: Understands meaning, best for conversation
"""

## When to Use
- User mentions or implies: voice agent
- User mentions or implies: speech to text
- User mentions or implies: text to speech
- User mentions or implies: whisper
- User mentions or implies: elevenlabs
- User mentions or implies: deepgram
- User mentions or implies: realtime api
- User mentions or implies: voice assistant
- User mentions or implies: voice ai
- User mentions or implies: conversational ai
- User mentions or implies: tts
- User mentions or implies: stt
- User mentions or implies: asr

## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.