Voice Assistants Handle Phone Calls: Are They Effective?

Voice assistants are becoming more accepted in handling phone calls, especially with the rise of call screening features. Whether you own a Pixel, Samsung, or iPhone, your onboard assistant will frequently intercept unknown callers and inquire about the purpose of the call.

However, the effectiveness of this functionality, similar to AI translation capabilities, can be questionable. Calls can be unpredictable, with the person on the other end potentially mistaking it for a spam call and terminating the call abruptly. So, what happens if the voice assistant struggles to understand accents? Will it put the store employee in a loop of repeated inquiries? And if the store lacks the necessary resources, will the assistant know how to bow out gracefully or end the conversation?

A Google spokesperson mentioned, “This experiment allows us to test different scenarios and improve functionality across various accents and environments. Gemini will politely end the call if a business is unable to meet your needs.”

This hints at a future where robots might take over business calls entirely. Companies, such as the local California pizza chain Pizza My Heart, are exploring the use of AI tools to engage with customers. For instance, Pizza My Heart lets customers order pizza through Jimmy the Surfer’s chatbot.

It may not be long before you can call a restaurant and interact with the restaurant’s AI. The technological advancement is evident as machines converse, even if it’s just about a simple choice of menu items.