# How to build an AI voice assistant with ElevenLabs tools

> Original title: How to build an AI voice assistant: Brand-aligned voice AI

- Source: ElevenLabs Blog
- Published: 2026-10-27T12:00:00.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/r1gdi3pyglln0xve8p6szbdcf
- Original: https://elevenlabs.io/blog/build-an-ai-voice-assistant

## Summary

ElevenLabs explains how to build an AI voice assistant by connecting speech to text, an LLM, and text to speech into one real-time pipeline. It recommends keeping round-trip response below 500 ms with voice activity detection, requiring verbal confirmation for actions, and handing off to a live agent for emotionally charged or complex queries. The guide also compares building from raw ElevenAPI calls with using the managed ElevenAgents platform.