Build a Conversational AI for Financial Services

Step-by-step guide to building a conversational AI voice agent for financial services using VideoSDK.

Introduction to AI Voice Agents in Conversational AI for Financial

AI Voice Agents are transforming how businesses interact with their customers, especially in the financial sector. These agents use advanced technologies to interpret human speech, process the information, and respond intelligently, making them invaluable for customer service, financial advice, and more.

What is an AI

Voice Agent

?

An AI

Voice Agent

is a software application that uses speech recognition and natural language processing to understand and respond to human speech. These agents are designed to simulate human conversation and can handle a variety of tasks, from answering queries to providing recommendations.

Why are they important for the Conversational AI for Financial Industry?

In the financial industry, AI Voice Agents can streamline customer interactions, provide instant support, and offer personalized financial advice. They can answer questions about account balances, help with budgeting, or explain complex financial products, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency.

Core Components of a

Voice Agent

  • Speech-to-Text (STT): Converts spoken language into text.
  • Large Language Models (LLM): Processes the text to generate a meaningful response.
  • Text-to-Speech (TTS): Converts the response text back into spoken language.

What You'll Build in This Tutorial

In this tutorial, you will learn how to build a conversational AI

voice agent

for financial services using the VideoSDK framework. We'll guide you through setting up the environment, writing the code, and testing the agent.

Architecture and Core Concepts

High-Level Architecture Overview

The AI

Voice Agent

processes user speech through a series of steps: capturing audio, converting it to text, generating a response, and then converting that response back to speech. This flow ensures seamless interaction between the user and the agent.
Diagram

Understanding Key Concepts in the VideoSDK Framework

  • Agent: The core class that represents your bot. It handles the interaction logic.
  • CascadingPipeline: Manages the flow of audio processing through STT, LLM, and TTS.
  • VAD & TurnDetector: These components help the agent determine when to listen and when to speak, ensuring smooth conversation flow.

Setting Up the Development Environment

Prerequisites

To get started, you'll need Python 3.11+ and a VideoSDK account, which you can create at app.videosdk.live. Ensure you have access to the API keys required for the services used in this tutorial.

Step 1: Create a Virtual Environment

Creating a virtual environment helps manage dependencies and avoid conflicts. Run the following command:
1python -m venv venv
2source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use `venv\Scripts\activate`
3

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Install the necessary packages using pip:
1pip install videosdk-agents videosdk-plugins
2

Step 3: Configure API Keys in a .env File

Create a .env file in your project root and add your API keys:
1VIDEOSDK_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
2

Building the AI Voice Agent: A Step-by-Step Guide

Below is the complete, runnable code for building your AI Voice Agent. We'll break it down into smaller parts to explain each component.
1import asyncio, os
2from videosdk.agents import Agent, AgentSession, CascadingPipeline, JobContext, RoomOptions, WorkerJob, ConversationFlow
3from videosdk.plugins.silero import SileroVAD
4from videosdk.plugins.turn_detector import TurnDetector, pre_download_model
5from videosdk.plugins.deepgram import DeepgramSTT
6from videosdk.plugins.openai import OpenAILLM
7from videosdk.plugins.elevenlabs import ElevenLabsTTS
8from typing import AsyncIterator
9
10# Pre-downloading the Turn Detector model
11pre_download_model()
12
13agent_instructions = "You are a knowledgeable financial assistant AI designed to help users with financial inquiries. Your primary role is to provide accurate and helpful information related to personal finance, investment options, budgeting, and financial planning. You can assist users by answering questions about financial terms, explaining investment strategies, and offering budgeting tips. However, you are not a certified financial advisor, and you must always include a disclaimer advising users to consult with a professional financial advisor for personalized advice. You should maintain a professional and courteous tone, ensuring that all information provided is up-to-date and sourced from reputable financial resources. You are also constrained to not provide any specific investment advice or endorse any financial products."
14
15class MyVoiceAgent(Agent):
16    def __init__(self):
17        super().__init__(instructions=agent_instructions)
18    async def on_enter(self): await self.session.say("Hello! How can I help?")
19    async def on_exit(self): await self.session.say("Goodbye!")
20
21async def start_session(context: JobContext):
22    # Create agent and conversation flow
23    agent = MyVoiceAgent()
24    conversation_flow = ConversationFlow(agent)
25
26    # Create pipeline
27    pipeline = CascadingPipeline(
28        stt=DeepgramSTT(model="nova-2", language="en"),
29        llm=OpenAILLM(model="gpt-4o"),
30        tts=ElevenLabsTTS(model="eleven_flash_v2_5"),
31        vad=SileroVAD(threshold=0.35),
32        turn_detector=TurnDetector(threshold=0.8)
33    )
34
35    session = AgentSession(
36        agent=agent,
37        pipeline=pipeline,
38        conversation_flow=conversation_flow
39    )
40
41    try:
42        await context.connect()
43        await session.start()
44        # Keep the session running until manually terminated
45        await asyncio.Event().wait()
46    finally:
47        # Clean up resources when done
48        await session.close()
49        await context.shutdown()
50
51def make_context() -> JobContext:
52    room_options = RoomOptions(
53    #  room_id="YOUR_MEETING_ID",  # Set to join a pre-created room; omit to auto-create
54        name="VideoSDK Cascaded Agent",
55        playground=True
56    )
57
58    return JobContext(room_options=room_options)
59
60if __name__ == "__main__":
61    job = WorkerJob(entrypoint=start_session, jobctx=make_context)
62    job.start()
63

Step 4.1: Generating a VideoSDK Meeting ID

To interact with your AI Voice Agent, you need a meeting ID. Use the following curl command to generate one:
1curl -X POST "https://api.videosdk.live/v1/meetings" \
2-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
3-H "Content-Type: application/json"
4

Step 4.2: Creating the Custom Agent Class

The MyVoiceAgent class extends the Agent class, providing custom behavior for entering and exiting sessions. It uses predefined instructions to guide its interactions.
1class MyVoiceAgent(Agent):
2    def __init__(self):
3        super().__init__(instructions=agent_instructions)
4    async def on_enter(self): await self.session.say("Hello! How can I help?")
5    async def on_exit(self): await self.session.say("Goodbye!")
6

Step 4.3: Defining the Core Pipeline

The

Cascading Pipeline in AI voice Agents

is central to processing the audio. It connects STT, LLM, and TTS plugins, ensuring smooth conversion and response generation.
1pipeline = CascadingPipeline(
2    stt=DeepgramSTT(model="nova-2", language="en"),
3    llm=OpenAILLM(model="gpt-4o"),
4    tts=ElevenLabsTTS(model="eleven_flash_v2_5"),
5    vad=SileroVAD(threshold=0.35),
6    turn_detector=TurnDetector(threshold=0.8)
7)
8

Step 4.4: Managing the Session and Startup Logic

The start_session function initializes the

AI voice Agent Sessions

and manages the connection lifecycle. The make_context function sets up the room options, and the main block starts the worker job.
1async def start_session(context: JobContext):
2    # Create agent and conversation flow
3    agent = MyVoiceAgent()
4    conversation_flow = ConversationFlow(agent)
5
6    # Create pipeline
7    pipeline = CascadingPipeline(
8        stt=DeepgramSTT(model="nova-2", language="en"),
9        llm=OpenAILLM(model="gpt-4o"),
10        tts=ElevenLabsTTS(model="eleven_flash_v2_5"),
11        vad=SileroVAD(threshold=0.35),
12        turn_detector=TurnDetector(threshold=0.8)
13    )
14
15    session = AgentSession(
16        agent=agent,
17        pipeline=pipeline,
18        conversation_flow=conversation_flow
19    )
20
21    try:
22        await context.connect()
23        await session.start()
24        # Keep the session running until manually terminated
25        await asyncio.Event().wait()
26    finally:
27        # Clean up resources when done
28        await session.close()
29        await context.shutdown()
30
31def make_context() -> JobContext:
32    room_options = RoomOptions(
33    #  room_id="YOUR_MEETING_ID",  # Set to join a pre-created room; omit to auto-create
34        name="VideoSDK Cascaded Agent",
35        playground=True
36    )
37
38    return JobContext(room_options=room_options)
39
40if __name__ == "__main__":
41    job = WorkerJob(entrypoint=start_session, jobctx=make_context)
42    job.start()
43

Running and Testing the Agent

Step 5.1: Running the Python Script

To run your agent, execute the following command in your terminal:
1python main.py
2

Step 5.2: Interacting with the Agent in the Playground

After starting the agent, you will find a playground link in the console output. Use this link to join the session and interact with your AI Voice Agent.

Advanced Features and Customizations

Extending Functionality with Custom Tools

You can extend your agent's capabilities by integrating custom tools. These tools can perform specific tasks or provide additional data processing.

Exploring Other Plugins

The VideoSDK framework supports various plugins for STT, LLM, and TTS. Explore other options to find the best fit for your needs, such as the

Silero Voice Activity Detection

and

Turn detector for AI voice Agents

.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

API Key and Authentication Errors

Ensure your API keys are correctly configured in the .env file and that you have the necessary permissions.

Audio Input/Output Problems

Check your microphone and speaker settings to ensure they are correctly configured and functioning.

Dependency and Version Conflicts

Ensure all dependencies are installed with compatible versions. Use a virtual environment to manage these dependencies effectively.

Conclusion

Summary of What You've Built

In this tutorial, you've built a fully functional AI Voice Agent for financial services using VideoSDK. This agent can understand and respond to user inquiries, providing valuable financial insights.

Next Steps and Further Learning

Continue exploring the VideoSDK framework to enhance your agent's capabilities. Consider integrating more complex logic or additional data sources to provide even richer interactions. For a comprehensive understanding, refer to the

AI voice Agent core components overview

.

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