In this episode we discuss how the rise of large language models (LLMs) has exposed the limitations of traditional chatbot and live chat solutions. These older systems, often driven by simple database queries or decision trees, offer a "lame experience" that customers have learned to ignore. The current business model of these companies, which relies on seat licensing, is fundamentally flawed and ripe for disruption. A true AI agent, by contrast, should be "untethered" and "unchained" from a single communication channel, allowing it to act with autonomy and agency across multiple applications.We also discuss the strategic advantages of adopting a platform-based approach over relying on a single, hard-coded chatbot.

A platform provides multi-channel orchestration, allowing a single AI agent to communicate via chat, email, text message, and voice, all while maintaining a consistent identity. This approach allows a company to own its proprietary AI model, which the hosts describe as an indispensable "digital employee". This ownership prevents vendor lock-in and protects a company's most valuable asset—its tribal knowledge—from walking out the door with a third-party contractor.