Dialpad’s Agentic AI Ends the Chatbot Era

Dialpad is drawing a line in the sand: chatbots that frustrate, IVRs that deflect, and FAQs that never quite help? Out. In their place: autonomous AI agents that actually solve problems.

This week, Dialpad rolled out its Agentic AI Platform, a system designed to enable businesses to create voice- and text-based AI agents that can handle complex requests, “think” through multi-step tasks, and complete them end to end. That means stuff like scheduling, order lookups, account management, and more, all working across the tools companies already use. And if a human does need to step in, the context is all there. 

From autopilot to real action

“Customer service has been operating on autopilot for years. We built the override,” said Craig Walker, CEO and founder, Dialpad. “Instead of using AI to deflect customers, we’re using it to solve their problems—quickly, accurately, and naturally.”

It’s a definite switch-up from the chatbot days of old, when most tools were built to sidestep problems instead of fixing them. Dialpad’s agentic AI aims to flip that script with agents that don’t just reply, they take action. The company says the platform can handle up to 70% of requests right from the get-go. 

Robin Gareiss, CEO and principal analyst at Metrigy, summed up the human-AI balance: “You can’t stress the importance of the AI agent-human agent relationship enough when it comes to optimizing customer service. It’s so symbiotic—AI helps humans pick up from where they’ve left off and deliver personalized experiences, and humans train AI to keep them on track.”

Beyond bolt-ons

Unlike many vendors who are bolting AI features onto existing systems, Dialpad is framing this as a foundational shift. Its Dynamic Intelligence Architecture learns from every interaction and is then able to anticipate customer needs. A low-code design environment means teams can build and test agents in weeks, not months. And with omnichannel continuity (voice, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, etc.), every interaction stays connected with the whole conversation history carried over.

“Organizations don’t just need AI that can act—they need AI they can trust to act,” said Shezan Kazi, head of AI transformation, Dialpad. Enterprise-grade safety, PII redaction, and real-time monitoring are all embedded by default, according to the company.

Part of a larger shift

Dialpad’s move comes as the idea of “agentic AI” gains ground well beyond customer service. As Forbes recently put it, “Agentic AI is redefining how modern organizations operate, not by making tasks faster, but by changing who (or what) does the work.” In other words, these aren’t just your run-of-the-mill chatbots; they can actually reason, adapt, and act.

That framing explains why early adopters across healthcare, retail, and recruiting are already testing Dialpad’s platform. The company has opened early access, with demos and a livestream showcasing the launch.

The era of chatbots may finally be over. What comes next looks less like scripted responses and more like a new coworker who just happens to be tireless, scalable, and built to get things done.

For MSPs, the rise of agentic AI is largely about knowing how to roll it out responsibly. Training, security, and ongoing adaptation will be critical. Many are already fielding client requests for AI agents, and those who aren’t will be soon. For a deeper dive into the opportunities and pitfalls, check out our conversation with AI Enablement Principal Derek Ashmore.