Google May Have Faked Its Google Duplex Demo At I/O

• Google Duplex is one of the most talked about features showcased by Google from the recently concluded I/O 2018.
• The feature will be implemented in Google Assistant, allowing users to initiate calls to local businesses for inquiries and bookings.
• A recent publication reveals that businesses that were part of the video were trained to respond correctly to all of Google Assistant’s queries.

In the recently concluded Google I/O developer conference, one of the most talked about features for Google Assistant was Google Duplex. The new feature allows Google Assistant to make calls on the user’s behalf to book appointments or make inquiries.

Google showcased the new feature during the keynote live. However, a recent publication has revealed that the local businesses that were called by the were trained to offer the same responses to Google Assistant every time. Google CEO Sundar Pichai claimed that the calls made by Google Assistant during the demo were real calls and proceeded to book an appointment at a local salon.

Image Courtesy of Medium

Popular publication Axios claims that most businesses are trained to identify the business when answering the phone, which was not the case when the new Google feature was demonstrated. Axios called twenty local businesses, and they always identified themselves when receiving the call. In both of the calls made by Google, it was not the case which hints that Google may have staged the whole demo.

It has also been noted that there was no ambient noise during the phone calls. Normally it is expected that there will be background noise when calling establishments like a salon or a restaurant. It was also suspicious that a contact number was not asked for by the receptionists. Normally when making a booking, the name and contact number of the client is taken, but in Google’s case, the Assistant was not asked in both cases.

When asked to publicly identify the establishments that were called by Google when showcasing Google Duplex at I/O, the tech giant has refused to reveal the names of both establishments. The above factors point to the Google Duplex demo being edited before the presentation instead of being live calls on stage.