Remember back in May at Google I/O, there was a big stir about one new feature Google was planning to roll out. That feature was Duplex, an augmentation of Google Assistant. The demonstration was so good, it inspired some pundits to decry it as fake. They said it couldn’t be done.
Google is now in the process of proving them wrong, or right, depending on your perspective. Engadget has what few details there are.
After months of hype, Google’s reservation-placing Duplex AI is available to the general public — if only just. The company has confirmed to VentureBeat that Duplex is rolling out to a “small group” of Pixel phone users in “select cities.” It wasn’t specific about those cities, but it likely includes the previously announced cities of Atlanta, New York City, Phoenix and San Francisco. Google is starting with a “slow rollout” to ensure a “good experience” for both Pixel owners and businesses,”
The detractors were at least partially correct. This brave new world where computers do the dirty work of making our appointments for us is not quite here yet, at least, not the way Google presented it. The tech is clearly not quite there.
The rollout is only to a small subset of a tiny set. It would still be a small number if it went to all Pixel owners. But only a small number of them will see the feature. Besides trying to use it, there is no clear way of knowing if you even have it, or when you will get it.
It is not promising that this is being held back to ensure a “good experience.” One would expect that Google would know by now what type of experience to expect. There are clearly bugs to be worked out. And they already know it will be somewhat problematic at first.
Another limitation is that you will not be able to make appointments with hair salons. Google initially demonstrated the ability to have your assistant make an appointment for an appointment with a stylist. There is no word when or if that feature will roll out.
When these features were first introduced, there was a lot of speculation about who these features were for. The executive who already has an actual assistant does not need this one. That leaves the people who only wish they were important enough to have someone to make appointments for them.
There was also some talk about accessibility. Those who cannot use a phone or speak the language confidently might find the service useful. While that is not the stated goal of this product, it could become an aid for accessibility over time.
Till then, the rest of us will just have to pick up the phone and make our appointments the old-fashioned way. Oh, the humanity.
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