“Voice AI isn’t here to replace people — it’s here to empower them.” — RJ Burnham, Founder, Consig

At the inaugural vCon 2025 Conference in Hyannis, RJ Burnham, founder of Consig, sat down with Doug Green of Technology Reseller News to explore the next frontier in voice AI — and why the real opportunity isn’t in replacing human teams, but amplifying them.

Burnham’s deep roots in voice tech go back nearly three decades — from early speech recognition for financial services to launching Consig just last year. Now, he’s focused on helping industry-specialized service providers navigate the AI transformation.

“There’s a lot of buzz around replacing people with AI. But in many industries — from healthcare to automotive — the real value comes from blending technology with human expertise.”

Human-AI Collaboration, Not Replacement

Burnham sees a clear trend: companies that rely on deep domain expertise are facing disruption from software-first competitors. Voice AI is now capable of more than simple scripts — it can handle complex tasks like appointment rescheduling, payment collection, and post-visit follow-ups. Still, Consig’s philosophy is to automate what machines do best, and leave the human connection to experienced staff.

One standout example? A healthcare client using Consig to power post-appointment patient interviews — a traditionally people-powered task — now partially automated with voice AI to streamline processes while retaining human empathy where it matters most.

Why vCons Matter

Burnham also presented on the role of vCons in voice AI, calling them a breakthrough in improving customer experience. “One of the most frustrating moments for any caller is repeating themselves after a handoff. vCons eliminate that,” he said. By encapsulating context, transcripts, and metadata, vCons allow seamless transitions between AI and human agents, improving efficiency and satisfaction.

“vCons solve the memory problem. No more starting over. That’s a game changer for customer experience.”

What’s Next for Consig

Consig offers white-labeled, embeddable solutions to help service providers adopt AI — without becoming tech companies themselves. Burnham’s mission: make voice AI accessible, responsible, and industry-aligned.

Learn more at: consig.ai