Custom VAD for Agent Barging
Human-like conversational flow by enabling the user to interrupt the AI agent at any time.
The Problem
Need a highly sensitive system to detect when a human customer begins speaking ('barging in') while the AI agent is talking, to interrupt immediately.
Expected Outcome
Human-like conversational flow by enabling the user to interrupt the AI agent at any time.
Tool Chain
Implementation Steps
- 1
Audio Stream Monitoring
Monitor the customer's audio stream independently of the agent's output.
LiveKit - 2
Voice Activity Detection
A VAD service processes the stream to detect the exact start and end points of human speech.
- 3
Agent Interruption Signal
A signal is sent to Retell (or custom agent logic) to immediately stop TTS playback and switch to ASR.
Retell AI - 4
Agent Response
The agent processes the customer's interruption and generates a relevant response.
Alternatives
Has robust built-in barging/interruption handling.
Cost Impact: N/A
Export Workflow
Coming SoonSoon you’ll export this stack to Zapier, n8n, or a starter repo with presets (env vars, webhooks, rate limits).