Add a Live AI Interpreter to Any 8x8 Call

How TalkTool works on 8x8

TalkTool is a real-time AI phone interpreter you bring onto a call the same way you'd bring on a coworker. When a customer needs translation, you use 8x8's conference, Merge calls, or warm-transfer control to dial TalkTool's conference number onto the call. That control sits on the in-call screen of the 8x8 Work desktop and mobile apps, on your deskphone, and in the 8x8 Contact Center agent console (Agent Workspace).

Once TalkTool answers, you enter your organization code and press #, choose the other person's language with a two-digit code, and either press 1 to have TalkTool dial the customer or press 2 if they're already conferenced in through 8x8. From that point the AI listens to both sides and speaks each person's words in the other's language within about one to two seconds. There's a full walkthrough at how to conference in an AI interpreter.

The important part: this is not a native 8x8 integration, and it doesn't need to be. Because TalkTool joins over the phone network, there's nothing for your 8x8 administrator to install or approve — it works the same on 8x8 as it does on any landline, mobile, or other VoIP system.

AI interpreter vs. a human phone interpreter

The traditional approach is an over-the-phone interpreter service like LanguageLine, CyraCom, or Propio: you call a hotline, wait in a queue, brief a human, and run a three-way call. It works, but it's slow and expensive — typically $1.50–$3.50 per minute plus connection delays.

TalkTool removes the hold queue and the third human. It's available 24/7, connects in seconds, and costs a flat $0.25/min — roughly 6–14x cheaper. For specialized legal or clinical encounters that require a certified human interpreter, keep using one; for the day-to-day volume of support, scheduling, billing, and intake calls, the AI handles it instantly. See reduce interpreter costs and the LanguageLine alternatives breakdown for the full comparison.

Who on an 8x8 team benefits

Any 8x8 shop that fields calls in more than one language gets value here. Front-desk and support teams in healthcare, dental, property management, auto, home services, and logistics use it to serve Spanish-, Vietnamese-, or Mandarin-speaking customers without hiring bilingual staff for every language.

It's especially useful for 8x8 Contact Center teams: an agent can conference TalkTool in mid-interaction instead of transferring the caller to a scarce bilingual queue, which keeps handle times down and avoids dropped calls. Outbound teams — collections, appointment reminders, dispatch — use press-1 to have TalkTool place the call to the customer in their language.

What it costs

TalkTool is a flat $0.25 per minute of translated time, with no contract, no monthly minimum, and no per-seat licensing layered on top of your 8x8 plan. You pay for the minutes you actually translate.

A 10-minute translated call costs $2.50 on TalkTool. The same call through a human OPI service at $2.50/min would run about $25 — and that's before any per-call connection fees. Full details are on the pricing page.