How to Use AI to Restore Trust in Outbound CommunicationsHow to Use AI to Restore Trust in Outbound Communications

When Zendesk announced its intent to acquire Local Measure to strengthen its AI-powered voice platform, one response stood out: "Wait. Voice is still relevant?!"

Voice has long been the backbone of outbound communications, and despite digital expansion, it remains essential. When customers need clarity, urgency, or a human touch, they turn to voice. Yet today, businesses rely on a mix of voice, SMS, and messaging apps—while consumers face a flood of spam and fraud across all channels. The challenge isn’t whether businesses can reach customers, but whether customers trust who’s reaching them.

Cutting through this noise requires more than regulatory compliance. Branded calling, AI-powered automation, and call authentication are reshaping how businesses establish trust, verify legitimacy, and improve engagement.

At Enterprise Connect 2025, I’ll lead a discussion on how businesses can rebuild trust in outbound communications—beyond what regulations alone can achieve.

Why Outbound Communications Still Matter—And How AI is Reshaping Them

Despite the rise of digital self-service, direct outbound communications—via voice or SMS—remain critical. Forrester reports that 39% of customers initiate contact by phone, while 42% conclude interactions over the phone. Businesses are turning to AI to make these interactions more effective.

The AI voice market is expanding, with AI voice cloning projected to reach $7.75 billion by 2029. AI-powered IVRs and virtual assistants improve call routing, while conversational AI, while conversational AI, projected to be an $18 billion market by 2027, is enhancing voice and messaging-based engagement. In healthcare, AI-driven outreach has cut patient no-show rates by 25%, proving its impact on efficiency and responsiveness.

Yet AI also introduces new regulatory challenges. The FCC's February 2024 Declaratory Ruling now requires prior express consent for AI-generated voice calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, reinforcing the need for responsible implementation.

The stakes are high—according to Forrester, 70% of customers say they’d switch to a competitor after a poor call experience. Businesses that prioritize authentication, caller ID transparency, and AI-powered engagement will cut through spam, increase answer rates, and build trust.

However, AI alone isn’t enough. Without authentication and transparency, even the most advanced AI-driven outreach risks being ignored or blocked.

The Open vs. Proprietary Debate in Call Authentication

Trust in outbound communications depends on verifying identity and ensuring transparency across calls, SMS, and digital messaging.

Gerry Christensen, Caller ID Reputation’s head of partnerships and regulatory compliance, explains, "Complementary to branded calling, and in fact necessary, there is a strong need for ongoing Know Your Customer (KYC) processes to ensure trust. KYC is more than just vetting—it includes continuous monitoring of behaviors, resource usage, and call treatment, such as blocking and labeling."

Businesses must choose between proprietary authentication models, which may offer faster deployment, and open standards like Branded Calling ID (BCID) and KYC, which provide greater control, cost efficiency, and long-term trust. However, no authentication model is effective without ongoing monitoring and adaptation—and that’s where regulations alone fall short.

Regulations Set the Floor—Not the Ceiling

Frameworks like STIR/SHAKEN and the TRACED Act were designed to curb robocalls, but they don’t fully address trust challenges.

"Regulatory compliance sets a baseline, but true trust requires continuous monitoring, authentication, and industry-led innovation beyond the mandates," says Christensen.

As fraud evolves, so must solutions. Branded caller ID, AI-powered verification, and ongoing KYC processes are advancing faster than regulations can keep up. Businesses that go beyond compliance and proactively invest in authentication will have the greatest success in securing outbound communications.

The Time to Act Is Now

Fraudsters are more sophisticated, and businesses can’t afford to rely on outdated approaches to fight them. Voice remains at the heart of outbound engagement, but trust must be reinforced across all channels. Success will depend on authentication, transparency, and AI-powered engagement.

Join us at Enterprise Connect 2025, where we’ll explore practical strategies to restore trust in outbound communications and ensure legitimate outreach reaches the right audience.

Rob Hilsen will be a panelist at the Enterprise Connect 2025 session, “Building Trust in Outbound Calling Systems” on Thursday, March 20, at 9 a.m. in the Osceola A room. You can read more about the session here, or register to attend Enterprise Connect 2025 here.