Real-time engagement platform Agora has announced expanded support for OpenAI’s Realtime API, which is now generally available. The move is aligned with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies’ (PIDS) call for broader strategies to increase AI adoption in the country, where integration in businesses remains limited despite rising interest.
The integration introduces functions such as automated greetings, multimodal interaction between voice and text, selective attention locking, and more flexible controls for conversational flow. These features are intended to help developers design AI agents that operate with fewer technical hurdles and broader use cases.
Tony Zhao, CEO of Agora, said the integration aims to provide developers with tools to build more natural real-time interactions between users and AI agents.
The company’s Conversational AI Engine now includes:
- Automated greetings for session awareness and smoother onboarding.
- Mixed-modality interaction to allow switching between voice and text.
- Flexible turn-detection for greater control over conversations.
- Selective attention locking to filter ambient noise and interruptions.
By combining the Realtime API with its network infrastructure and developer toolkit, Agora said it can help teams streamline development and deploy applications faster.
One early adopter, robotics startup Carbon Origins, is using the integrated system for hands-free operation of heavy equipment. CEO Amogha Krishna Srirangarajan said the technology supports automation of system tasks, allowing operators to focus on higher-level oversight.
Agora said the integration is intended for applications across customer service, education, gaming, and other sectors.
