What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is a front-desk service that uses AI to answer incoming calls, texts or web chats, gather the caller's details, handle routine questions and route or book the request, usually alongside human staff rather than replacing them.
The term usually describes a packaged product built for a front-desk job, while voice agent describes the underlying technology. An AI receptionist answers in your business name, follows a script you approve, collects intake details, and sends a summary to the right person or system. Some vendors combine AI with live human receptionists for calls the AI cannot handle.
The best use is coverage, not cost-cutting. Missed calls after hours, at lunch or during a rush often go to the next business on the search results. An AI receptionist catches those and gets the details down. The front desk then spends its time on people in the room and on the conversations that need warmth or judgment.
Before choosing one, map your current call types and decide which the AI should handle fully, which it should capture and pass on, and which it should transfer immediately. Check whether it integrates with your practice management, scheduling or CRM software, and confirm how recordings and transcripts are stored, especially if callers share health or legal information.
Example
For example, a personal injury law firm could use an AI receptionist for evening and weekend calls. It collects the caller's name, contact details, accident date and a short description, then sends an intake summary to Clio for a case manager to review first thing. It does not tell callers whether they have a case; an attorney makes that call.