---
title: Talk to your AI
path: tutorials/beginner/talk-to-your-ai
status: published
---

```json frontmatter
{
  "title": "Talk to your AI",
  "audience": "beginner",
  "summary": "Start a voice conversation with your AI assistant — speak naturally and hear it respond.",
  "sort_order": 7
}
```

# Talk to your AI

ScaiWave lets you have a live voice conversation with your AI
assistant. Speak naturally, and the AI responds in a consistent,
natural-sounding voice. The conversation stays in context — the AI
remembers what you've discussed in the chat, and voice turns appear
in the timeline just like text messages.

## Starting a voice call

1. Open any AI-session room (a room with an AI participant).
2. Click the **phone icon** in the chat header.
3. The AI joins the call automatically — you'll see its tile appear
   in the call overlay and hear a short chirp confirming it's ready.
4. Start speaking. The AI listens, thinks, and responds.

No ringing, no waiting — the call goes active immediately in AI
rooms.

## During the call

- **VU meter** next to the mute button shows your mic is picking
  up audio.
- **Speaking indicators** glow blue around whoever is speaking
  (you or the AI) with a gentle pulse animation.
- **Sound cues**: a soft rising tone plays when the AI starts
  thinking (so you know it heard you), and a double-blip when it
  uses a tool.

## Interrupting the AI

If the AI is mid-response and you want to cut in, just start
speaking. The AI stops immediately, acknowledges the interruption
("Got it" or "Sure, go ahead"), and then responds to whatever you
said. It works cleanly — no awkward overlap or repeated content.
This is natural barge-in, like a real conversation.

## Tools and capabilities

The AI has the same capabilities in voice as in text chat:
- Web search
- Notes and todos
- File access
- ScaiDrive
- Any plugins enabled for the room

When it needs a tool, it says something brief ("Let me look that
up") before pausing to check — so you're never sitting in silence
wondering if it's still there.

## On the record / off the record

By default, voice conversations are **on the record** — both your
words and the AI's replies appear in the chat timeline as
transcripts, just like regular messages.

To go off the record:
- Click the **eye icon** in the call controls, OR
- Say "let's go off the record" — the AI will acknowledge and
  flip the flag.

Off-the-record turns are ephemeral: the AI still hears and responds,
but nothing is saved. Toggle back any time.

## Ending the call

Click the red **hang up** button. The AI disconnects, and you're
back to text chat. Your conversation context is preserved — you can
pick up where you left off in either mode.

## Tips for best results

- Speak in complete sentences. The AI waits for you to finish
  before responding (it uses punctuation in your speech to detect
  when you're done).
- If you pause mid-sentence ("I want to..."), the AI waits up to
  1.5 seconds for you to continue before responding.
- The AI keeps voice replies short — typically 2-3 sentences. If
  you need more detail, just ask a follow-up ("Can you elaborate?").
  This keeps the conversation flowing naturally without long
  monologues.
- Customize how the AI sounds in **Settings** → **Voice**. You can
  pick a voice style (warm, cheerful, calm, or broadcaster) and
  adjust speech speed from 0.5x to 2.0x.
- For best audio quality, use a headset or earbuds. Built-in
  laptop speakers can cause echo.

## Pop-out

Click the **pop-out icon** in the call header to float the call in
a separate window. You can continue working in the main tab while
the voice conversation runs in the floating window.

## Where to go next

- [Dictate messages and notes](/docs/scaiwave/tutorials/beginner/dictate-messages-and-notes) — use your mic without a call
- [Voice settings](/docs/scaiwave/tutorials/power-user/voice-settings) — choose your AI's voice