Google’s AI Wants to Call Stores for You — Here Are the Problems With That

Google's Gemini AI is set to debut a new feature that aims to streamline everyday phone calls, such as checking store hours, making restaurant reservations, or inquiring about service pricing. This "call for me" function, triggered by a specific prompt, will gradually roll out to eligible users. However, the AI is deliberately designed to avoid making actual payments or sharing sensitive information like credit card details. Users will still need to monitor the call and, if necessary, take over to input confidential data.

While the feature offers potential time savings, its practicality is still uncertain. Senior mobile expert Michael Sorrentino questions the transparency of the AI assistant and whether businesses will actually cooperate with Gemini. Google's automated notification informs callers that they're speaking with an AI, but the success of this feature relies heavily on how businesses respond.

They need to decide if they want to prioritize human callers or allow Gemini AI to handle their communications. Additionally, the system's ability to handle voicemail recordings and phone wait times remains unclear, potentially causing confusion for staff at busy establishments.

Day-to-day usage of the feature comes with limitations, including age restrictions (18 and above), availability in the US and English, and a Google AI subscription at $5 per month. Users must also download the beta version of the Phone by Google app and update the Gemini app to utilize this functionality. The AI is programmed to refrain from sharing sensitive data, but past security breaches involving Gemini raise concerns about its vulnerability.

Despite these precautions, there's still uncertainty about the feature's effectiveness and its handling of various business scenarios, making it essential to observe its performance closely before fully embracing it.