8x8 adds real-time translation and model choice to AI Studio

8x8 has added real-time voice translation to its AI Studio platform. The feature is now in early availability.

The update builds on a product launched earlier this year. It also adds selectable large language models, one-click software connectors, voice-led agent building and tools to convert existing IVR setups.

Real-time translation lets contact centre agents and customers speak their own languages on the same call. The service works across 13 languages and runs inside the AI Studio voice agent and advisor interface.

The system detects when participants are using different languages and translates automatically. Both the original speech and the translated output are recorded in the call record and shown in the live advisor interface for supervisors reviewing interactions.

The feature addresses a common customer support problem, where calls can be transferred, delayed or abandoned when an agent does not speak the caller's language. It is designed to let agents stay on the call without bringing in a separate interpretation service.

Model choice

8x8 has also expanded the range of AI models available in AI Studio. Users can now choose between Claude, Gemini, Grok and ChatGPT on a per-agent basis across voice and text channels.

That allows organisations to switch the model assigned to an individual agent without changing the wider platform. 8x8 positions that flexibility as part of a broader effort to help customers tailor AI agents to specific tasks and workflows.

System links

8x8 has introduced one-click connectors to more than 15 business applications, including HubSpot, Slack, Stripe, Atlassian, Twilio, GitHub, Asana, Figma, Intercom, Dropbox and ClickUp.

Those links let agents take action inside systems customers already use, reducing the need for separate integration projects.

Another addition is a tool that reads existing 8x8 auto-attendants and converts them into AI Studio call flows. It is aimed at businesses still relying on traditional phone-tree IVRs and looking to update them without rebuilding from scratch.

AI Studio's builder can now also be used through speech rather than typing. In that workflow, push-to-talk dictation is transcribed, filler words and self-corrections are cleaned up, and the resulting text is inserted for review before submission.

The update also includes a website widget that supports voice and text interactions, image sharing and transfer to a live agent. Those functions are combined in a single embeddable interface.

8x8 linked the translation launch to recent transcription changes in AI Studio, including the addition of OpenAI's GPT-Realtime-2 for accented and non-native speech. The company said those improvements have increased reliability across different languages.

Emil Ivov, Vice President of Product for Video Platform and Services at 8x8, described the language issue in personal terms.

"I've spent much of my life living abroad, and I know from experience how isolating a language barrier can be. As an international student in France, even simple tasks like contacting a service provider or calling customer support could feel overwhelming. Those challenges still affect millions of people every day. With real-time translation in 8x8 AI Studio, we're helping organizations communicate with customers in their preferred language, making support more accessible, more natural, and more human," said Ivov.

8x8 operates in business communications and customer experience software, spanning contact centre, unified communications and CPaaS products. The latest AI Studio changes show how suppliers in that market are adding automation, model choice and language support to contact centre tools as companies look for ways to manage customer interactions across more channels and regions.