🔊 Will AI IVR Make Rigid Phone Menu Options Obsolete?

Many will instinctively answer “yes” to this question. And in the name of progress, with AI’s current capabilities and the direction it’s rapidly heading, it’s hard not to see why. The frictionless promise of AI-powered voice assistants replacing outdated press-to-navigate IVRs feels inevitable. But let’s take a deeper look, especially through the lens of accessibility and inclusive design.

Right now, if I want to check my bank account balance, I call my bank, press or say a number from a pre-determined menu, verify my identity by entering PII, and eventually receive the information I need. It’s structured, familiar, and it works, though not always efficiently.

With AI-driven IVR, that process becomes smoother: I simply say what I want to do, the system recongizes my voice, understands my intent, confirms which account I mean, and delivers the result. It’s faster, more conversational, and built for convenience.

But convenience for whom?

Let’s step back and reframe this through the lens of ADA/Section 508 compliance. What happens to users who are left behind in an all-AI IVR future?

Imagine a user who has lost their voice. How will they interact with a system that only accepts spoken input? Or someone who is newly blind and doesn’t yet have the muscle memory of the number pad, AI IVR might be a lifeline here. But what about a user who is deaf, has limited motor function, or a speech impediment? We can’t assume a single input modality will work for all.

The solution? Multimodal access. Flexible systems. Inclusive design.

So, if you're building an AI IVR system, how do you ensure it serves everyone?

🔍 Research. Research. Research.

This is where UX research is essential to the product lifecycle. Understanding the entire spectrum of your users, through interviews, usability testing, accessibility audits, and inclusive persona mapping, enables you to build something that not only works for the majority, but doesn’t leave the rest behind.

The goal of any product, especially one that interacts with people’s money, health, or identity, is near-universal satisfaction and trust. That’s not possible without designing for every user. AI should empower, not exclude.

So no, rigid phone menus may become less common, but we can’t afford to trade one form of inflexibility for another. Progress isn’t just smarter tech, it’s more compassionate, human-centered systems.