Google’s AI Reservation Tool Expanded to Most of the US [Video]

The search giant’s Duplex tool is able to call businesses, such as restaurants and hair salons, and book appointments on behalf of a user. It does so in a synthetic voice so realistic-sounding it initially caused controversy for not disclosing its automated nature to business staffers on the other end of the line.

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The newly expanded availability, first reported by AndroidPolice, constitutes a landmark in the long journey from the product’s initial 2018 launch. Google has spent the time since then tweaking the service to fit various state laws—like rules that require both parties to consent to a phone call recording—and weaning it off of its initial reliance on human callers to supplement the AI.

The New York Timesreported last year around a quarter of all calls made with …