Google assistant can now make real phone calls, and the difference between it and real-life human conversation is virtually indistinguishable.
The technology was demonstrated last week at Google I/O the tech giant’s annual developer conference.
Different from voice-recognition software that one can now hear when calling a customer service helpline, for example, Google Assistant is proactive technology that can actually call to make a dinner reservation, or, as demonstrated by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, an appointment for a haircut.
“It turns out a big part of getting things done is making a phone call. We think AI can help with this problem,” Pichai said.
Critics say the service can be unethical in that people will not know they are speaking to a machine, an issue Google says it is addressing. “We are designing this feature with disclosure built-in, and we’ll make sure the system is appropriately identified,” the company said in a statement.
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