Speak the given text to the user using text-to-speech. Returns true if the agent spoke the text, false otherwise.
AI agents invoke speak to trigger actions in Pipecat MCP Server. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
This tool executes an action (TTS synthesis and audio playback) whose effects depend on the supplied text argument. While not destructive or financial, it performs an irreversible real-time operation that affects the user experience and cannot be easily undone. The medium severity reflects that misuse could involve unwanted audio output, but lacks the critical impact of destructive or financial operations.
From the tool's definition The tool description indicates it 'Speak[s] the given text to the user using text-to-speech' and returns a boolean indicating execution. This triggers external audio output operations through Pipecat's TTS capabilities.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access speak gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Pipecat MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for speak:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"speak": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "speak_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}speak stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Speak the given text to the user using text-to-speech. Returns true if the agent spoke the text, false otherwise. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Pipecat MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Pipecat MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for speak: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Pipecat MCP Server. Nothing to install.
speak is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the speak rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for speak. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
speak is provided by the Pipecat MCP Server MCP server (pipecat-ai/pipecat-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 7 Pipecat MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
7 Pipecat MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.