Andrew Badham 2018-05-10 15:54:42
Having to make phone calls is one of those chores that most people dread. Sure, there are the occasional folks who will pick up a phone way before they send an email, but theirs is a rare breed, and it’s growing rarer still. Most folks would rather hash out an essay-length text than simply chat to the person on the other side of the line.
The trouble for these folks is that you often have to pick up a phone. Whether it’s because you need a response as soon as possible, the person you’re contacting doesn’t have email, or you’re simply worried you won’t get the tone right in an email, at some point you’ll have to call. Thankfully, there’s a chance you can lighten your call-time load with some up and coming tech.
Google recently demonstrated an upcoming feature for Google Assistant they’ve been working on, the ability to make calls on your behalf. Although the technology is still in development, it’s very impressive. In the video, the Google Assistant makes calls to real people to organise a hair appointment, and later, a restaurant reservation. The demonstration showed how the AI perfectly understood accents a regular human would struggle to process, responded appropriately when the call didn’t go as expected, and even used “ahs” and “ums” to sound like a human. Essentially, the people on the other side of the line had no idea they were talking to a robot.
Before we phone-a-phobes get too excited, it’s important to recognise that when companies demo their products like this, they are always going to put their best foot forward. They’re going to show the most impressive performances of their products and certainly not all the mishaps. Also, both instances Google demonstrated were simple tasks like setting up an appointment. So, it won’t save you making those awkward calls to dissatisfied customers just yet, but maybe it’s not that far off.
So, for those PAs out there worried that the machines are ready to take your jobs, don’t worry you’re safe for now. Although, it does make you think, with AI being able to take on roles we usually reserve for human-human interaction, what jobs will be safe. In the meantime, you can enjoy the idea that Google is taking care of a few more activities that make your day a drag.