Understanding these core concepts will help you get the most out of Burki Voice AI!
What is an Assistant?
An Assistant is a virtual agent that can answer calls, talk to users, and perform tasks using AI. Each assistant has its own configuration for language, voice, hearing, and integrations.- You can create multiple assistants for different use cases (e.g., sales, support, info lines).
- Each assistant can have its own settings, phone number, and knowledge base.
- Assistants can be updated in real-time without any downtime.
Multi-Tenancy & Organizations
- Organizations: Group your assistants, team members, and resources under one account. Great for agencies, teams, or businesses with many brands.
- Role-Based Access: Admins, members, and viewers each have different permissions.
- Resource Isolation: Each organization’s data is completely separate and secure.
Provider Modes
Burki offers flexibility in how you connect to AI providers:Burki Cloud
We manage all provider connections. You select providers and models, we handle the rest.
BYO Mode
Connect your own API keys. You pay providers directly and maintain full control.
Why Flexibility Matters
Why Flexibility Matters
- Cost Control: Use your existing enterprise pricing with BYO mode
- Try New Models: Test new AI models as they launch
- Optimize: Use Burki Cloud for convenience, BYO for specific needs
- Fallbacks: Set up backup providers for reliability
How a Call Flows Through the System
When someone calls your Burki phone number, here’s what happens:Component Breakdown
| Component | What It Does | Providers |
|---|---|---|
| Telephony | Handles phone calls and audio streaming | Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx |
| STT | Converts caller’s speech to text | Deepgram |
| LLM | Understands context and generates responses | OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, xAI |
| TTS | Converts AI response back to speech | ElevenLabs, Cartesia, Deepgram, Resemble |
| Tools | Executes actions (transfers, API calls, etc.) | Built-in + Custom |
You can customize every step—choose your favorite providers, set up fallbacks, and fine-tune the experience!
Configuration Sections
When setting up an assistant, you’ll configure these sections:| Section | What You Configure |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | Name, description, and greeting message |
| AI Configuration | LLM, TTS, and STT providers and models |
| RAG (Knowledge Base) | Documents and web pages for context |
| Call Management | Interruptions, recordings, and call flow |
| Tools | Actions your assistant can take |
| Phone Numbers | Which numbers route to this assistant |
System Architecture
Key Components
- API Gateway: Handles authentication, rate limiting, and request routing
- Core Engine: Manages conversation state, assistant configuration, and business logic
- Audio Processing: Real-time audio streaming with noise reduction
- Tool Execution: Secure execution environment for custom actions
- Storage: Encrypted storage for conversations, recordings, and configuration
Data Flow
Inbound Call
- Call arrives at your phone number via telephony provider
- Audio streams to Burki in real-time over WebSocket
- STT converts speech to text with sub-second latency
- LLM generates a contextual response
- TTS converts response to audio
- Audio streams back to the caller
- Call data is logged for analytics and transcripts
Outbound Call (API-Initiated)
- API request triggers an outbound call
- Burki connects via telephony provider
- Same flow as inbound once connected
- Webhook notifies your system of call status
Security & Compliance
- Encryption: All data encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3)
- API Key Security: Keys are hashed and never stored in plain text
- Provider Isolation: BYO keys are encrypted and only used for your requests
- Audit Logs: Complete audit trail of all system access
- Data Retention: Configurable retention policies for recordings and transcripts
Next Steps
AI Configuration
Learn about LLM, TTS, and STT configuration options
Integrations
Connect with external services and APIs