Google is rolling out an experimental Gemini feature called Call for Me that can place and handle phone calls to businesses on a user’s behalf. The feature can check product availability, make or change reservations and appointments, navigate automated menus, and wait on hold while users follow the conversation in real time.
Call for Me will initially be available in the U.S. to Pixel 11 owners ages 18 and older with a Google AI subscription. Users will also need the public beta version of the Phone by Google app and the latest Gemini mobile app.
Gemini Can Conduct the Conversation for the User
According to Google’s official Call for Me announcement, users can tell Gemini what they want accomplished and provide details such as preferred dates, times or alternative options. Before the call begins, Gemini shows a summary of the task, the phone number it will dial and the personal information it plans to share.
Users must approve those details before Gemini starts calling. The AI can then introduce itself, navigate phone menus, speak with employees and complete the requested task using the user’s own mobile number.
Google says Gemini identifies itself at the start of every call as a Google AI assistant calling on the user’s behalf and states that the call is being recorded. Users can watch a live transcript or listen to the conversation while it is happening, with their microphone muted by default.
They can also take over the call at any point. Afterward, Gemini provides a summary, while the complete transcript and recording can be reviewed through the Phone app.
Google’s support documentation says Call for Me currently works only with U.S. phone numbers.
Google Builds on Earlier Automated Calling Tools
The feature extends Google’s years of work on AI-assisted phone calls. Google demonstrated its Duplex technology in 2018 with an AI assistant calling businesses to make appointments.
It later introduced Ask for Me, which could contact businesses to collect information such as prices and service availability. Pixel users also have features including Hold for Me, which waits for a person to answer, and Direct My Call, which displays automated phone menu options on screen.
Call for Me adds the ability to handle a longer conversation and share user-approved personal information needed to complete a task. Google said it is starting with a limited rollout because real-world phone conversations can be complex and require further testing before wider availability.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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