Specialist, Support, and Public
Understanding the Three PTA Types
In the evolving landscape of AI integration, one concept that stands out for its clarity and practicality is the Pre-Trained Assistant (PTA). Unlike generic AI bots or assistants, PTAs are purpose-built for specific roles inside and outside an organization.
AIS (AI Integration Suite)
Defines three distinct types of PTAs,
Each with a unique scope, interaction model, and business function:
Specialist, Support, and Public.
Understanding these three types is key to designing an
AI workforce that mirrors real organizational structures and workflows.
Specialist PTAs
Who they serve: Internal employees
Where they operate: Inside the organization’s secure environment
How they work: Task-focused, ERP-integrated, credential-gated
Specialist PTAs are internal-facing digital colleagues. They assist human employees by executing repeatable, structured tasks that require business context and access to systems like ERP or CRM.
They are assigned specific roles (e.g., Sales Coordinator, Inventory Manager, HR Operations) and are bound to clear job descriptions.
These PTAs often work behind the scenes, interacting through the Team Assistant (AIS’s coordination hub), or directly if allowed by employee credentials.
Real-World Example
A Sales Operations PTA retrieves lead data, checks follow-up status, and generates reports on pipeline activity. It assists account executives by summarizing progress or drafting responses based on ERP records—saving hours of manual work.
Support PTAs
Who they serve: Known external stakeholders
Where they operate: Through authenticated portals or user accounts
How they work: Personalized help, tied to individual user identity
Support PTAs engage with vendors, suppliers, or customers—but only when the external user is authenticated. Their responses and actions are scoped to the identity of the user they are assisting. Unlike Public PTAs, Support PTAs have access to history, preferences, and transactional data.
They are ideal for Tier 1 support, where high volume and high repeatability dominate. They can handle structured tasks like answering FAQs, checking order status, or processing returns.
Real-World Example
A Vendor Support PTA allows suppliers to log in, upload invoices, track payments, or update product availability. It can also escalate issues to a human finance team when needed.
Public PTAs
Who they serve: Unknown users / general public
Where they operate: On websites, social media, messaging platforms
How they work: Respond to inbound inquiries, gather leads, no outreach capability
Public PTAs are AI representatives for the outside world. They live on landing pages, chat widgets, or social platforms (like Instagram Direct or WhatsApp) and respond to incoming inquiries from users who are not authenticated.
These PTAs are designed to handle initial engagement, such as collecting contact details, answering common questions, or routing users to the right resource. They cannot initiate conversations, which keeps them compliant and non-intrusive.
Real-World Example
A Customer Inquiry PTA embedded on a product website responds to a user asking, “Do you offer international shipping?” It answers based on the knowledge base and, if appropriate, asks for contact details to pass on to a Sales Specialist PTA or human team member.
Why This Categorization Matters
Each PTA type is designed to:
- Respect access boundaries
- Serve a specific audience
- Operate within a clear role
This separation avoids functional confusion, enforces data security, and supports better design of AI-human workflows.
For example, trying to use one PTA to serve both customers and suppliers would violate role clarity and increase the risk of errors or inappropriate data exposure. AIS explicitly does not allow merged roles—each use case must have its own dedicated PTA.
Summary Table
| PTA Type | Audience | Interaction Scope | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist | Internal employees | Full system access | Inventory PTA updating stock levels |
| Support | Known external users | User-scoped data access | Customer Support PTA for logged-in users |
| Public | Anonymous visitors | Inbound-only, lead capture | Sales Inquiry PTA on a website |
Understanding these types helps businesses deploy the right AI assistants in the right places—creating clear digital workflows that reflect how real organizations operate.
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