Inbound means incoming calls — the assistant picks up, qualifies, books or routes. Outbound means outgoing calls — the assistant actively dials out for confirmations, reminders, surveys or follow-ups.
The decisive difference is legal, not technical. Outbound calls to consumers are tightly regulated in the EU (ePrivacy, German UWG §7): an explicit, documented opt-in is generally required. Inbound is not affected because the caller initiates the contact.
In production it pays to separate both modes cleanly — also in reporting. Conversion paths, compliance gates and scripts diverge; what works in inbound is often not allowed in outbound.