Using Google Duplex for the first time…

Today while I was randomly stumbling around the internet I came across an article that mentioned that Google’s Duplex system was now active, and apparently has been for a little bit. The article mostly focused on the fact that Google was working on bringing the functionality to other Android devices in the up coming weeks, but yet neglected to mention what using Duplex was like. To be fair they could have posted a piece earlier when it was first released and I happened to miss it, but this was something I wanted to try for myself.

So I launched the assistant “Hey Google … Make me a reservation at Texas Road house tomorrow night” — And Google promptly let me know that this restaurant didn’t take reservation. Which was something that I didn’t know, so I was pretty impressed that Google already Knew it.

Strike One! But there are still places that I could still schedule a reservation, I mean, I’ll have to eat tomorrow night one way or other, right?

“Okay Google…. Make me a reservation for two people at Bona Vita” — to my excitement Google asked me which time I wanted to go. “7:00pm” — And Google again, promptly let me know that Tomorrow at 7 the restaurant was already booked up. Which my co-worker from the other side of the room spatted out, “There’s no way it F***ing knows that, I call BS!” which is fair, I don’t know how Google knew that, but it’s still amazingly cool.

So Strike Two, but I now know I can schedule at this restaurant. So one last time I asked Google to make me the reservation, this time I said “8:00pm” and Google asked if it was alright if they scheduled something between 8:00 and 9:00 pm, Which shouldn’t get in the way of things, so I agreed. It verified my phone number, and all the details before it let me know that it was going to make the call.

By this point I was excited. I mean, this is either the creepiest thing or the most cool thing Google AI has been able to up to this point. I mean… now I fell like its actually like an Assistant. To be honest It could’ve made a mistake and scheduled it at 8:00am and I think I still would be just as excited.

But sure enough, within a few minutes I had a notification that the reservation had been set at 8:00pm for tomorrow. Not only that is that it added it as an event on my Google Calendar as well. Which is a nice way for it to tie itself back into the world of Google Apps.

The only thing that would have made this even slightly better is if I had been able to listen to the call. I was really bummed out that, all I got from the experience was a notification bubble letting me know that I had dinner tomorrow night. All the magic of the call that took place behind the scenes. The power of this AI is that it makes the call but I didn’t get to experience. Maybe its a little weird for me to want to listen to the call… Either way, I’m very impressed. and will try to find every little excuse I can now to have Google make these calls for me.