New Google Tech Will Make Being On Hold With An Airline Obsolete!

It is unbelievable how far AI (artificial intelligence) has come and how fast it is getting us to some really unreal places.

Of course, there will always be people worried about the negative impacts of AI and of course you should always be concerned and protective of your data, but there will be things that AI will do that will forever change how we interact with tasks that we have always hated.

Google Duplex Could Make Waiting On Hold With Airlines Obsolete

There is probably no task that frequent flyers despise more than having to call an airline! We do this when we need to book an award ticket that is not possible online but also when we need to cancel a flight, make a change, or deal with weather issues.

Let Google Duplex Make That Call for You!

That last one is where we really do not like calling! Unless you have top tier elite status (and sometimes even then), you will be on the phone for hours! Airlines have taken to putting a mechanism in place to have you called back and they say you will not lose your place in line, but I have found that to be hit and miss. Plus, there is always the chance that call comes hours later than you thought it would and you are unable to take the call.

Google announced a new program, Google Duplex, this week that is going to introduce an amazing part of AI to our everyday life. Google Duplex allows the Google Assistant to make calls, as an assistant, and schedule appointments, find out information, and more – all in the background and without any assistance from you.

Listen to the following real-life phone call that Google used to demo Google Duplex. This is a phone call to a real business. Listen to how Google’s AI handles the nuances of human conversation and how real the Google Assistant sounds.

Ethics of AI Making Phone Calls?

Of course, there are going to be a lot of conversations as to the ethics of having a computer calling businesses without identifying as such (and there already is that conversation) but as Google improves it even more and business recognize the value of dealing with the Google Assistant, this will really help.

I think things like airline call centers will welcome Google’s Assistant making calls like this. Rather than having to deal with irate customer who had their flight cancelled and had to wait on hold for 2.5 hours, they are going to deal with a computer who has the directed information to deal with the airline.

When Will Google Duplex Arrive?

They are going to be rolling this out this summer to help with things like making appointments for hair salons, restaurants, and finding out about business hours so there will be some time before we have it for airlines.

But, it is coming! I cannot wait to just tell my Google Assistant to handle a flight cancellation for me and then not deal with it. Since this is a task that happens in the background, I can go on about my business without having to suspend what I am doing.

Check out Google’s blog post on it to find out more and hear more examples.

Thanks, Google! I cannot wait!

HT: Dustin