HN Explorer

Ask HN: AI hype vs. reality: how are startups using it?

1 points by paulwilsonn ↗ HN
Everywhere you look in 2025, it feels like every product pitch has “AI” stamped on it.

But on the ground, I’m curious:

Are founders here actually seeing real ROI from AI tools?

Or is it mostly marketing gloss right now?

For investors, are you treating “AI startup” differently than any other software play?

Would love to hear what’s working (or not) from real builders and backers.

2 comments

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Olivia8
We are using AI voice in a customer service for a while and quite happy with results. We understand that AI voice agents aren’t here to replace humans entirely. Customers still want empathy, problem-solving, and sometimes a bit of friendly banter—things machines can’t fully master (yet). But by taking over repetitive, low-value calls, AI allows human teams to focus on building relationships, solving complex issues. Today AI tools are transforming customer service by making calls more efficient and human-like. For instance, they can analyze tone in real-time and handle tasks like appointment setting without needing a full team. One effective approach is using voice agents that integrate with your existing systems. They qualify leads faster, reduce costs, and boost conversions—I've seen reports of 10% more qualified leads. A great example is Coldi.ai, which offers customizable AI agents.
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