Calgary is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in Canada. According to the City of Calgary's summary of the 2021 Census, about 19% of residents who mainly speak one language at home speak a language other than English or French. The most common are Punjabi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Arabic, Urdu, Vietnamese, Korean and Russian.
For a clinic, a trades company or an insurance office, that means some share of callers would be more comfortable in another language. Until recently, the options were hiring bilingual staff or paying for an interpretation service. Voice AI is starting to add a third option.
What changed in 2026
On September 15, 2026, Google released Gemini 3.8 Live, a voice model built for production voice agents. Google says it automatically detects and switches between 97 supported languages mid-conversation, without the caller choosing from a menu.
Other voice platforms are moving the same way. Business phone provider Aircall, for example, added 13 languages to its AI voice agents in September 2026, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi and Vietnamese.
The practical change is that a caller can start in English, switch to Punjabi when the details get complicated, and the agent follows. That is how many bilingual households actually talk.
Where this helps: example scenarios
These scenarios show how multilingual answering could work. They are illustrations, not client results.
A family dental office
A grandparent calls to book a checkup for their grandchild and is more comfortable in Punjabi. The agent answers in English, hears the switch, and continues in Punjabi. It collects the child's name, date of birth and preferred times, then books into an open slot under the office's rules. Staff get a summary in English. See how this fits into AI answering for dental practices.
A plumbing company taking an urgent call
A caller whose first language is Tagalog is stressed about water coming through the ceiling. They can explain the problem in the language they think in. The agent captures the address, the urgency and a callback number, and escalates to the on-call technician the same way it would for any emergency. See HVAC & plumbing.
An insurance brokerage handling renewals
A client who mainly speaks Mandarin calls about their renewal date and what documents they need. The agent answers the routine questions from approved information in Mandarin. It passes anything about coverage decisions to a licensed broker, with a written summary so the broker doesn't start from zero. See insurance agencies.
What to test before you rely on it
"Supports 97 languages" is a model capability. It isn't a guarantee that every conversation in every language will be good enough for your business. Before switching it on, check:
- The languages your callers actually use. Look at your customer base, not a global list. For many Calgary businesses that's Punjabi, Tagalog, Mandarin or Cantonese, not the most widely supported languages online.
- Names, addresses and numbers. Have native speakers test the details that matter most: spelling a name back, confirming a street address, reading a phone number. That's where errors cost you.
- Your approved answers, translated. Prices, policies and preparation instructions should be reviewed in each language, not left to on-the-fly translation.
- Handoff when a person is needed. If your team only speaks English, decide what happens when a caller needs a human. Options include a callback with a written summary, or a bilingual staff member for certain call types.
- Summaries in your team's language. Whatever language the call is in, the record your staff read should be in the language they work in.
Privacy doesn't change with the language
Recording notices, AI disclosure and consent apply the same way in every language. The notice at the start of the call should be understandable to the caller, which may mean offering it in more than one language. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has guidance on recording customer calls. Alberta businesses should also check the province's own privacy rules, which apply to many private-sector organizations here.
Is it worth doing?
If a noticeable share of your callers would prefer another language, multilingual answering can make your business easier to reach for those customers. It's also cheaper than staffing every language. Start with one or two languages, test them with real speakers, and expand from there.
Want to see whether it fits your business? Get in touch and tell us which languages your callers use. We'll tell you honestly what we'd test first.