Google’s AI can now make phone calls on your behalf ‣ Diverse Daily

Summary

Google is rolling out a new AI-powered phone call feature which lets users use AI to call local businesses to find out information about services and pricing.
The new AI-powered phone call feature is only available in the US. It can only be used to call businesses, such as pet groomers, dry cleaners, and auto shops.
Google aims to make phone calls easier and accessible, but questions remain on the reliance and necessity of AI for phone calls.

There are many tasks that AI can now perform on our devices that weren’t possible just a few years ago, such as generating images, creating text summaries, assisting with translations, and engaging in real-time conversations.

Thanks to the widespread adoption of Google Gemini on Android devices, it has become one of the most popular AI models for users, alongside ChatGPT. Google has been highlighting recent advances with Gemini, most recently at its Android Show: I/O Edition, where it announced that Gemini would be rolling out to even more devices in the coming months, including your smartwatch, Android Auto, Google TV, and Android XR.

Now, Google is promoting its next major advancement with Gemini, specifically the ability to make phone calls on your behalf. The feature is rolling out now, available only in the US, and enables users to make phone calls to local businesses using AI. It appears as an option when you search for a company on Google and is limited to certain types of local businesses, such as pet groomers, dry cleaners, and auto shops (via The Verge). Google sees this as a way to make it easier for you to quickly check prices and services available at a local business without having to call them yourself.

“To help you get even more done, we’re now bringing a new, agentic capability directly into Search: AI-powered calling to local businesses,” Google said in a blog post. “From pet grooming to dry cleaning needs, Search can now call businesses to get pricing and availability information on your behalf — without you needing to pick up the phone.”

I turned my Android into a Windows Phone, and I don’t think I’ll go back

This third-party Android launcher evokes the feeling of using a Windows Phone.

How does calling a local business using AI work?

Google will ask you about the services you need and your location

Google / Pocket-lint

When you search for a local business on Google Search that is eligible for AI-powered calling, you’ll see an option called “Have AI check pricing” appear. When you tap on that, a list of options will appear depending on the type of business it is. For example, if it’s a pet groomer you’re inquiring about, Google will ask you what kind of pet you have, its breed, and the services you require, such as a bath, brushing, ear cleaning, flea treatment, haircut, etc.

Once you’ve selected the services you need, Google will then ask you when you’d like to go and present three options: I’m flexible, Within 48 hours, and Within a week. You can then select how you’d like to receive the results of the AI-powered phone calls, either over text or email, and confirm your location. Google will then call some of the local pet grooming services on your behalf and send you all the consolidated results.

While Google’s AI-powered phone call feature is neat, I find myself torn about it. Whatever happened to simply picking up the phone and quickly calling someone to figure something out?

When Gemini calls a local business, it will identify itself as AI from Google, attempting to gather information on behalf of a customer. If a local business wants to opt out of receiving these types of automated phone calls, they can do so by changing their business profile settings on Google or by telling it over the phone when it calls. AI-powered phone calls are available in most states, except Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska.

While Google’s AI-powered phone call feature is neat, I find myself torn about it. Whatever happened to simply picking up the phone and quickly calling someone to figure something out? Do we really need AI to do everything for us? Studies already show that Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) have more anxiety about phone calls than any other generation, so I don’t feel like a feature like this helps them overcome it. Now, in all fairness, from an accessibility standpoint, I can see that this feature would assist many people, so I can see the merits of it. It will be interesting to see if Google rolls this feature out to more types of businesses in the future, and beyond the US.

Google’s AI-powered phone calls are now rolling out to all Google Search users in the US, so you should see the option appear soon. While it is free to use, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will have “higher limits,” which means they can use the feature more often than free users.