Google Duplex - Cool or Creepy?

[Vega007]

Creepy AF.

My stance on this is the same as self driving cars. I like to be human and do human things. I am not bothered nor so lazy that I can't schedule my own appointments. It is just something I have zero interest in.

I think the worst part would be the human person that has to deal with speaking to the AI. That could be potentially very frustrating.

 

[Wbutchart]

You're damn right you don't understand! It's clear as crystal, man!! "Something", "Might", "Happen!". I mean, that says it all right there.

Something = What that is, we don't know

Might = Maybe OR even Maybe NOT (it's tricky)

Happen = when "something might" occur,... sometime .. in the future .. maybe.

You should go ahead and kiss your family and loved ones goodbye, because apparently the apocalypse is upon us all... at least so say the pseudo pundits.

Wow, I hadn't thought of it like that, thank you for clarifying. We are clearly all doomed!

 

[Wbutchart]

Creepy AF.

My stance on this is the same as self driving cars. I like to be human and do human things. I am not bothered nor so lazy that I can't schedule my own appointments. It is just something I have zero interest in.

I think the worst part would be the human person that has to deal with speaking to the AI. That could be potentially very frustrating.

Why is this creepy? I just don't get why this is creating that feeling in people, what is creepy about an ai that can do appointments via calls... Something we already do via email which can hardly be defined a human interaction....

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Why is this creepy? I just don't get why this is creating that feeling in people, what is creepy about an ai that can do appointments via calls... Something we already do via email which can hardly be defined a human interaction....

How is it different than ordering food through a webform?

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

One less job for a human being

Who can then be leveraged to fill one of the millions of unfilled jobs which require skills. But, as indicated earlier, this is focused on small businesses... ones that probably don't have a dedicated receptionist.

 

[hallux]

How is it different than ordering food through a webform?

How is it different than anyone calling a business and getting the AVR (Automated Voice Response) that takes verbal input, I could theoretically call the cable company with an issue and never talk to a person as they now have some of the basic troubleshooting automated with voice response.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

How is it different than anyone calling a business and getting the AVR (Automated Voice Response) that takes verbal input, I could theoretically call the cable company with an issue and never talk to a person as they now have some of the basic troubleshooting automated with voice response.

Grazie that's exactly what I mean

 

[Vega007]

Why is this creepy? I just don't get why this is creating that feeling in people, what is creepy about an ai that can do appointments via calls... Something we already do via email which can hardly be defined a human interaction....

Email is hardly a human interaction? I compose my emails myself, I simply use technology to send it for me. This is the same as writing a letter and having the postal service deliver it for you. Sending emails is a terrible comparison, unless AI is composing them for you without your input. The fact that you consider email as hardly a human interaction baffles me.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Email is hardly a human interaction? I compose my emails myself, I simply use technology to send it for me. This is the same as writing a letter and having the postal service deliver it for you. Sending emails is a terrible comparison, unless AI is composing them for you without your input. The fact that you consider email as hardly a human interaction baffles me.

Honestly most emails other than my work emails I can get away with just the quick replies for the most part. It's still me selecting them, but that'd be the same thing as with these calls.. I'm choosing who to call and what I want.

 

[Wbutchart]

Email is hardly a human interaction? I compose my emails myself, I simply use technology to send it for me. This is the same as writing a letter and having the postal service deliver it for you. Sending emails is a terrible comparison, unless AI is composing them for you without your input. The fact that you consider email as hardly a human interaction baffles me.

Honestly, I find it deeply disturbing that you qualify email as a human interaction.

Let's cut to a few facts, communication is generally 10% (considered generous) verbal and at least 90% non verbal. What would the be for email? No cues of any kind (hence the frequent miscommunication and misunderstanding) it must be what 2% at best? It is crude communication but it is by no means human interaction for it negates how we communicate almost entirely.

 

[Vega007]

Honestly, I find it deeply disturbing that you qualify email as a human interaction.

Let's cut to a few facts, communication is generally 10% (considered generous) verbal and at least 90% non verbal. What would the be for email? No cues of any kind (hence the frequent miscommunication and misunderstanding) it must be what 2% at best? It is crude communication but it is by no means human interaction for it negates how we communicate almost entirely.

I disagree with you 100% but hey, people disagree with me a lot so I am used to it.

 

[nof8butwhatwemake]

I'm not sure I am a fan of the idea.

Why wouldn't businesses begin using an AI assistance to also handle incoming calls?

So eventually you'll have a machine talking to a machine making arrangements for your life without any interaction between actual human beings. I just don't see how this is beneficial to society as a whole.. in my opinion this will lead to the elimination of jobs due to AI much faster and more extensive then just the predicted assembly line/manual labor type jobs.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

I'm not sure I am a fan of the idea.

Why wouldn't businesses begin using an AI assistance to also handle incoming calls?

So eventually you'll have a machine talking to a machine making arrangements for your life without any interaction between actual human beings. I just don't see how this is beneficial to society as a whole.. in my opinion this will lead to the elimination of jobs due to AI much faster and more extensive then just the predicted assembly line/manual labor type jobs.

Businesses already do that. Most businesses now have software answering their phones and directing calls.

Also, eliminating unnecessary jobs is a good thing. Because then we can use those people to help fill the millions of open jobs that require humans. If highway construction could be fully automated, meaning construction could proceed with better accuracy, run 24/7 and not endanger the lives of any workers, wouldn't one have to be insane to protest that transition? Because the counter argument is, "no I prefer putting Joe's life at risk because .... " Well, because why?

Also, we're talking about the receptionist position, so in an average office setting, a maximum of one person. We're not talking about anything that is ready to replace the entire office.

 

[nof8butwhatwemake]

Businesses already do that. Most businesses now have software answering their phones and directing calls.

Also, eliminating unnecessary jobs is a good thing. Because then we can use those people to help fill the millions of open jobs that require humans. If highway construction could be fully automated, meaning construction could proceed with better accuracy, run 24/7 and not endanger the lives of any workers, wouldn't one have to be insane to protest that transition? Because the counter argument is, "no I prefer putting Joe's life at risk because .... " Well, because why?

Also, we're talking about the receptionist position, so in an average office setting, a maximum of one person. We're not talking about anything that is ready to replace the entire office.

Right, because there's already such a large surplus of extra jobs we can't fill due to overemployment.

Not sure what you do for a living, but how would you cope if your skill set was no longer needed and you couldn't find a job that was looking for human employees?

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Right, because there's already such a large surplus of extra jobs we can't fill due to overemployment.

You're correct, there are. The problem is that there aren't enough qualified applicants, or they are unwilling to do the job, or to work the shift, etc.

Example: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...d-6-2-million-job-openings-whats-the-problem/

There are more than 6 million open jobs in the US alone, a huge percentage of which are in the technology sector and that number is growing. What is needed is skilled people to take on those roles, which is why so many companies are paying for qualified applicants to go to school to develop the necessary skills to join the industry at an effective level.

Not sure what you do for a living, but how would you cope if your skill set was no longer needed and you couldn't find a job that was looking for human employees?

I'm in D-Level management; I lead a team of managers with oversight over their operations. If that somehow became something my phone could do for me, I would do what every person in the history of industrialization has done ... learn a new skill or migrate to a place where the skills I have are wanted. The only alternative is to give up.

The belief that because people do x today that people will always have to do x is misguided and dangerous. The pursuit of higher ambitions requires the belief that everything that can responsibly be taken off of our plates is taken off. Having busy work just for the sake of having someone be busy is just silly, not to mention a serious waste of expense. Do you think businesses should be paying people to handwrite every memo that goes out, instead of leveraging computers for someone to type on and software and servers to deliver emails? Of course not, that's a ridiculous idea. And it's exactly the same amount of ridiculousness as the idea that we won't create new ways for people to spend their time if the thing they currently do is optimized. That's what growth is.

 

[nof8butwhatwemake]

You're correct, there are. The problem is that there aren't enough qualified applicants, or they are unwilling to do the job, or to work the shift, etc.

Example: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...d-6-2-million-job-openings-whats-the-problem/

There are more than 6 million open jobs in the US alone, a huge percentage of which are in the technology sector and that number is growing. What is needed is skilled people to take on those roles, which is why so many companies are paying for qualified applicants to go to school to develop the necessary skills to join the industry at an effective level.



I'm in D-Level management; I lead a team of managers with oversight over their operations. If that somehow became something my phone could do for me, I would do what every person in the history of industrialization has done ... learn a new skill or migrate to a place where the skills I have are wanted. The only alternative is to give up.

The belief that because people do x today that people will always have to do x is misguided and dangerous. The pursuit of higher ambitions requires the belief that everything that can responsibly be taken off of our plates is taken off. Having busy work just for the sake of having someone be busy is just silly, not to mention a serious waste of expense. Do you think businesses should be paying people to handwrite every memo that goes out, instead of leveraging computers for someone to type on and software and servers to deliver emails? Of course not, that's a ridiculous idea. And it's exactly the same amount of ridiculousness as the idea that we won't create new ways for people to spend their time if the thing they currently do is optimized. That's what growth is.

While I agree with your primary statement in regard to our advancement as a species, comparing the obsolescence of hand written memos to the introduction of what is essentially the primer to AI isn't a fair comparison. Once truly autonomous programs are introduced the rate and scope of obsolescence will be incredibly dramatic unless steps are taken to mitigate the sudden reduction in need for human workers. I doubt we disagree on much, there's just a difference of perspective. I am in no way one of those backwards "we shouldn't do anything to change the status quo" types, I just think prudence is called for when we start bringing about this type of significant change.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

While I agree with your primary statement in regard to our advancement as a species, comparing the obsolescence of hand written memos to the introduction of what is essentially the primer to AI isn't a fair comparison. Once truly autonomous programs are introduced the rate and scope of obsolescence will be incredibly dramatic unless steps are taken to mitigate the sudden reduction in need for human workers. I doubt we disagree on much, there's just a difference of perspective. I am in no way one of those backwards "we shouldn't do anything to change the status quo" types, I just think prudence is called for when we start bringing about this type of significant change.

100% agree that these steps need to be made with care

 

[Almeuit]

Very good read.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...lk-to-the-revolutionary-but-limited-phone-ai/

Seems they are doing a ton with Duplex -- even letting businesses opt-out if they don't want to receive calls from it. They also addressed the start of the call.

"Every single call started with something along the lines of, "Hi, I'm calling to make a reservation. I'm Google's automated booking service, so I'll record the call. Can I book a reservation for..." This covered both the "I'm a robot" disclosure and the "this call is being recorded" concerns brought up earlier. Google says it's still working on the exact messaging, but the company always intended to disclose that it was a robot recording the call."

 

[anon(10092459)]

Very good read.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...lk-to-the-revolutionary-but-limited-phone-ai/

Seems they are doing a ton with Duplex -- even letting businesses opt-out if they don't want to receive calls from it. They also addressed the start of the call.

Personally, I'm excited about this advancement in technology. The possibilities are exciting as well ...

 

[neo158]

I think it could be cool if Google get it right. I know I would use it.