We were shown a lot of really cool tricks at I/O 2018 last week, but by far one of the most impressive was Google Duplex. A feature designed for Google Assistant, Duplex is able to make a convincing voice to perform a phone call, right down to reacting to questions posed to it. However, as many have pointed out, there’s potentially a pretty creepy side to this technology. Now, some parodies are showing that off.
In case you missed the actual presentation at I/O, Google showed Duplex attempting, and successfully making an appointment at a hair salon. In another demo, the tech is shown off calling a restaurant to find that it can’t actually set that appointment, but it still handles the conversation beautifully.
The possibilities here are pretty much endless, and understandably, that’s got some people worried. Being able to so flawlessly impersonate a human being, right down to the “um’s” is kind of unnerving when you really think about it. Thankfully, Google has already said the Assistant will identify itself if this tech actually does get a public release.
Now, a couple of YouTubers have come up with more situations where Duplex could be used. Of course, these videos are produced mainly for comedic effect, but in all reality, it’s not out of the question that Google’s tech could pull this off.
The first parody we spotted comes from “FunnyOrDie.” In its latest video, the channel presents a conversation between the Assistant and a couple of parents. the user, Lindsay, has the Assistant call her parents “to say hello,” and Google proceeds to have a conversation with the parents.
Her parents ask a handful of questions which Google quickly answers based on her search, order, and social media history. It even mentions some… photos, that she has of her boyfriend. In the end, it turns out Lindsay was just asking for money, and the Assistant fails to win the parents over.
Hilarity aside, with the right backing and integrations, Google could probably pull this one off, which is actually really creepy when you think about it.
In another skit by Adam Fierman, a user asks the Assistant to set up an appointment with his girlfriend to end the relationship and get her stuff from his apartment. Chaos ensues, of course. This is one Google undoubtedly would never do, but with the possibilities for this technology so wide-open, who really knows…
That’s what we’ve found so far as Duplex parodies go. Have you found any? Do you think Google would ever make the technology available for these sorts of use cases? Drop a comment below and let us know!
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