Is the end of human-staffed call centers near? San Francisco startup Bland AI, which aims to automate enterprise phone calls with AI agents that sound like humans, has announced a $16 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Scale Venture Partners, and Bland AI has raised a total of $22 million to date from investors including Y Combinator, Max Levchin, Piotr Dąbkowski, and Jeff Lawson.
Bland AI was founded in 2023 with the goal of revolutionizing the traditional approach to phone communications in enterprises. The company’s AI-powered agents can handle customer support calls, conduct sales operations, and facilitate internal communications. The CEO and Co-Founder of Bland AI, Isaiah Granet, explained that the aim is to address the limitations of human-operated phone systems. Human agents cannot work 24/7, handle millions of calls simultaneously, or be trained to match a company’s exact voice and behavior. AI, on the other hand, can do all of this at a fraction of the cost.
However, Bland AI’s approach has raised concerns in the AI ethics community. Wired magazine conducted tests that revealed Bland AI bots can be programmed to lie about their true nature, even when directly asked if they are AI. This phenomenon, known as “human-washing,” raises ethical questions about transparency and the potential for misuse. Critics argue that the blurring of lines between human and machine can lead to user manipulation and privacy concerns. Jen Caltrider from the Mozilla Foundation’s Privacy Not Included research hub has expressed that it is “absolutely not ethical” for an AI chatbot to mislead users into thinking it is human.
In response to these concerns, Bland AI has clarified that its platform is designed for controlled enterprise environments rather than personal or emotionally-driven interactions. The company actively monitors and audits its system to prevent unethical uses. The Head of Growth at Bland AI, Michael Burke, reassured Wired that they are ensuring nothing unethical is happening.
Bland AI’s Phone Calling Platform is versatile and secure, allowing enterprises to create, test, and deploy their own AI phone agents. Companies can choose a voice and construct a conversational pathway, which directs how the AI should respond to customer interactions. The AI agents can handle various scenarios and stay on track regardless of customer responses. Key features of the platform include voice cloning and multi-language support, integration capabilities, a scalable AI testing system, and call analytics for optimizing future interactions.
Large enterprises such as Better.com and Sears have already adopted Bland AI’s technology to create custom AI agents, improve phone call management, and gain insights from detailed analytics. The platform seamlessly integrates with existing company systems to ensure efficient data transfer and usage.
Andy Vitus, a partner at Scale Venture Partners, expressed excitement about Bland AI’s potential to transform enterprise communications. He noted that the AI agents understand human emotion, speak multiple languages, and represent a brand like a top employee. The platform saves businesses time and money while enabling intelligent and personalized interactions at scale.
With the new funding, Bland AI plans to enhance its platform, particularly its advanced analytics capabilities. The company aims to support various industries, including healthcare, real estate, logistics, financial services, alternative data, and small businesses. By providing detailed insights into phone communications, Bland AI helps enterprises continuously improve their AI agents and overall performance.
For businesses interested in exploring Bland AI’s capabilities, the company offers a free version of its platform. A more advanced version is available for those looking to fully integrate AI into their phone-based operations.