Zocdoc's AI assistant revolutionizes appointment scheduling

Author

Ryan Howard
May 06, 2025

🔊 Soundcheck

  • Vahan's AI voice recruiter automates 40,000 monthly hires.

  • Alexa+ reaches 100,000 users in early rollout.

  • Quansight enhances AI voice tech with Cobalt acquisition.

  • Zocdoc's 'Zo' AI assistant revolutionizes appointment scheduling.

Read time: 4 minutes

🔥 Hot Mic

Big moves, deep dives, and standout stories.

Vahan, a Bengaluru-based startup, has developed an AI-powered voice recruiter that automates the hiring process for blue-collar workers across India. By integrating OpenAI's GPT-4o, the system conducts voice-based interactions in multiple languages, streamlining recruitment for companies like Uber, Amazon, Swiggy, and Zomato.

The AI recruiter engages candidates over the phone, assessing their qualifications and interest, and then connects them to human recruiters. This approach has enabled Vahan to facilitate over 40,000 hires monthly, significantly reducing the time and cost associated with traditional recruitment methods.

In September 2024, Vahan secured $10 million in Series B funding led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator and Gaingels LLC. The investment aims to enhance the technology and expand language support, broadening access to employment opportunities in India's smaller towns and cities.

Key Points:

  • Vahan's AI recruiter automates 40,000 monthly hires.

  • Integrates OpenAI's GPT-4o for voice-based interactions.

  • Supports multiple languages to reach diverse candidates.

  • Secured $10 million funding led by Khosla Ventures.

Takeaway: Vahan's AI-driven voice recruitment platform, leveraging OpenAI's GPT-4o, is revolutionizing the hiring process for India's blue-collar workforce, making it more efficient and accessible, and attracting significant investment to scale its impact nationwide.

Amazon's Alexa+, the enhanced version of its voice assistant, has been adopted by over 100,000 users since its early access launch. CEO Andy Jassy announced this milestone during the company's recent earnings call.

The rollout began in the U.S., targeting Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 users, with plans to expand to more devices and regions later this year. Alexa+ offers advanced AI capabilities, including more natural conversations and proactive task management.

Alexa+ is available at no additional cost for Amazon Prime members, while non-members can subscribe for $19.99 per month. This pricing strategy aims to incentivize Prime memberships and broaden Alexa+'s user base.

Despite initial delays due to technical challenges, the positive reception suggests that Alexa+ is poised to significantly impact the voice assistant market, offering users a more intelligent and responsive experience.

Key Points:

  • Alexa+ has over 100,000 users since early access launch.

  • Initial rollout targets Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 devices.

  • Free for Prime members; $19.99/month for non-members.

  • Enhanced AI enables natural conversations and proactive tasks.

Takeaway: Alexa+'s successful early adoption indicates a strong demand for advanced voice assistants, positioning Amazon to lead in AI-driven home automation.

Quansight, a provider of AI and machine learning solutions, has acquired Cobalt Speech and Language, a company specializing in custom speech and language technology. This acquisition aims to enhance Quansight's capabilities in delivering advanced voice-based applications for enterprise and embedded systems.

Cobalt, founded in 2014 by voice recognition expert Jeff Adams, offers expertise in automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language understanding (NLU), and custom voice solutions across multiple languages. Their technology serves sectors such as defense, healthcare, call centers, and industrial automation.

The move aligns with Quansight's strategy to provide custom AI stacks that organizations can fully own and control.

Key Points:

  • Quansight acquires Cobalt Speech to boost AI voice tech.

  • Cobalt specializes in ASR, NLU, and custom voice solutions.

  • Cobalt serves defense, healthcare, and industrial sectors.

  • Acquisition aligns with Quansight's custom AI stack strategy.

Takeaway: Quansight's acquisition of Cobalt Speech enhances its AI voice technology offerings, enabling more advanced, customizable solutions for enterprise applications.

Zocdoc has launched 'Zo,' an AI-powered phone assistant designed to automate the process of scheduling medical appointments through voice commands. This innovation aims to enhance patient access to healthcare services by simplifying the booking process.

The introduction of 'Zo' represents a significant advancement in the integration of voice AI within healthcare operations. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Zocdoc seeks to reduce administrative burdens on medical staff and improve overall patient satisfaction.

This development underscores a broader trend of incorporating AI technologies into healthcare to streamline operations and enhance patient engagement. 'Zo' is expected to set a new standard for how patients interact with healthcare providers over the phone.

Key Points:

  • Zocdoc launches 'Zo,' an AI phone assistant for scheduling.

  • Aims to simplify medical appointment booking via voice commands.

  • Reduces administrative tasks for healthcare providers.

  • Reflects growing adoption of AI in healthcare operations.

Takeaway: Zocdoc's 'Zo' AI assistant marks a pivotal step in integrating voice AI into healthcare, promising to streamline appointment scheduling and improve patient access to medical services.

🎙️ Mic Drop

What else is making noise in voice AI.

  • Vahan uses OpenAI's GPT-4o to automate blue-collar recruitment by phone, supporting massive hiring scale in India. (indiatimes.com)

  • Limbic rolls out an AI voice agent to streamline behavioral health patient intake, reducing workload on call center staff. (fiercehealthcare.com)

  • Multilingual AI voice assistant will make Bengaluru emergency helpline more accessible to tourists, migrants, and minorities. (business-standard.com)

  • Grok AI introduces a voice interaction feature, aiming to boost user engagement and adoption for crypto trading communities. (blockchain.news)

  • Edge AI startup Picovoice delivers cloud-level voice AI and LLM models on edge devices for privacy and low latency. (digitimes.com)

  • Audiocodes receives a renewed Buy rating for its conversational AI and Microsoft Teams integration, signaling industry confidence. (tipranks.com)

  • Antier deploys 500+ enterprise crypto wallets with built-in AI voice-assistant and crypto card integration for worldwide clients. (prnewswire.com)

  • Solda.AI lands $4M seed round to develop AI voice agents that autonomously close sales over the phone for retail and finance. (retailtechinnovationhub.com)

  • Banks face new risks as AI voice generators enable convincing deepfake scams that can defeat traditional security measures. (businessinsider.com)

  • NBC will use an AI-generated voice of late announcer Jim Fagan to promote the NBA's TV return—spotlighting synthetic voice in media. (variety.com)

  • Deepfake voice scams are on the rise, with fraudsters using cloned voices to trick victims in phone-based schemes. (wmur.com)