Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the launch of Agora's conversational AI engine, DeepSeek, which offers low-latency, real-time voice interaction capabilities at an extremely low cost, making it accessible for developers to integrate AI into applications [1][4][17]. Pricing and Cost Efficiency - The cost of using the AI engine is remarkably low at 0.098 yuan per minute, with an initial offer of 1000 free minutes for new users [3][5]. - Average conversation length is approximately 21.1 seconds, resulting in a cost of only 0.03 yuan per interaction, leading to a monthly cost of less than 0.5 yuan for 15 interactions [5]. Technical Performance - The engine achieves a median response latency of 650 milliseconds, significantly below the 1.7 seconds threshold for natural conversation [7][8]. - It supports interruption of responses with a low latency of 340 milliseconds, mimicking human conversation dynamics [9]. - The engine can filter out 95% of background noise, ensuring high-quality voice recognition even in noisy environments [9]. Network and Compatibility - Agora has established over 200 data centers globally, allowing for stable connections even in poor network conditions, with the ability to maintain communication despite 80% packet loss [10]. - The engine is compatible with various large models, including DeepSeek and ChatGPT, and supports over 30,000 device types, ensuring broad accessibility [10][16]. Developer Accessibility - The integration process for developers is simplified to just two lines of code, allowing for deployment of a conversational AI agent within 15 minutes [11][12]. - Developers can easily switch between different underlying models and voice synthesis providers without altering the front-end logic [13][14]. New Service Model - The launch of the conversational AI engine signifies the emergence of a "voice interaction as a service" model, decoupling RTC technology from large model development [17][18]. - Agora positions itself as a middleware provider in the AI voice interaction ecosystem, facilitating the integration of RTC technology into various AI applications [19][21].