by Nafisa Kennedy, LAS, Director of Option Line

Artificial intelligence is changing the way people communicate and access services. People increasingly use AI to interact with or compare service options, and even businesses like Yelp and OpenTable encourage the use AI for making restaurant reservations. Option Line is beginning to see this firsthand.

Recently, Option Line has received a handful of calls from AI voice assistants acting on behalf of potential clients. So far, these calls have involved requests for baby items, but as the technology becomes more widely used, we anticipate receiving more. We wanted to share what we have learned so far to prepare you in case an AI call comes your way.

Sometimes, these assistants identify themselves as AI at the start of a call. Other times, they can be identified by characteristics of artificially generated speech, such as unusual speech patterns or noticeable pauses between responses.

While this is still relatively new territory, these experiences have prompted us to establish some boundaries for how Option Line will respond.

Our approach begins with the same kindness and professionalism we extend to every caller. We recognize that behind an AI assistant may be a real person seeking help, and we don't want technology to become an unnecessary barrier to accessing support.

With that in mind, Option Line consultants may provide basic information to AI assistants, including the availability of nearby pregnancy help organizations, their contact information, and business hours. However, we will not transfer AI calls directly to pregnancy centers.

Additionally, Option Line will not discuss personal circumstances, exchange personal information, or schedule appointments through AI voice assistants. When these needs arise, we will encourage the individual seeking assistance to contact Option Line or the pregnancy center directly.

As technology continues to evolve, we will continue evaluating how best to respond. We maintain that meaningful conversations around intensely personal topics ought to remain rooted in direct person-to-person connection.

As AI voice assistants become more common, pregnancy centers may want to consider how their own teams will respond to these calls. Establishing clear guidelines can help staff & volunteers navigate these interactions with confidence and consistency.

Consider discussing:

• How phone staff can recognize potential AI callers
• What information may be shared
• When direct communication with the individual seeking assistance should be required. 
• Whether any internal policies should be revised to include mention of practices related to AI voice assistants
• Standard responses your team might use when interacting with AI callers

Above all, encourage staff to approach these calls with kindness and professionalism, recognizing that a real person seeking help may be behind the technology.

Technology may help someone find the door to pregnancy help, and we welcome that, but it's the people on the other side of that door who make the difference.