Google's AI can now make phone calls for you
Google first started testing this feature in January, and it's still only available for certain kinds of businesses, like pet groomers, dry cleaners, and auto shops. When you search for one of these services, like a pet groomer, Google will display a new 'have AI check pricing' prompt beneath the business listing.
Google will then ask you for more information about your request, such as what kind of pet you have, its breed, and the types of services that you need. It will also ask when you need the service and how you want to receive updates, such as email or text. This feature might prove popular among those younger users, whom studies have shown struggle with making phone calls.
Robby Stein, Google Search's vice president of product, notes that the company's Gemini model uses Duplex to make calls. 'Gemini, with Duplex tech, will be able to make calls on your behalf,' Stein tells The Verge, adding that the calling tool will 'announce itself as an AI from Google trying to get information on behalf of a customer and get your info and details conveyed so that you don't have to spend all of this time doing this.' After the AI gets the information it needs, it will provide an update over text about available times or prices.
Business owners can opt out of receiving AI calls in their profile settings on Google. Though this feature is now generally available, Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers will receive 'higher limits' that allow them to use the feature more.
In addition to widely rolling out its agentic calling tool, Google has also started testing its more advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode, the AI-powered search tool that Google brought to everyone in the US in May. AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers who have opted into the AI Mode experiment in Labs can now choose Gemini 2.5 Pro, which Stein says works 'particularly great for advanced reasoning, math, and code.' AI Mode uses a custom Gemini 2.0 series model by default.
Google is experimenting with putting its Deep Search feature in AI Mode, as well, allowing users to have AI Mode craft in-depth reports about a query. 'The model is actually reasoning and thinking of questions to ask and Google searches to perform,' Stein says. 'As it's constructing the response, it will actually check its work and issue further questions in this kind of multi-step reasoning chain.' This feature will also be available to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in Google Labs.
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