Google is testing Gemini’s ability to call businesses

Now that AI agents like Meta’s Muse and Instinct can make phone calls on your behalf, Google is enabling Gemini to call businesses with a new feature called “Call for Me.”

The feature will first roll out to Pixel 11 owners who pay for a Gemini subscription in the US. You’ll also need to use a beta version of Google’s Android phone app, as it’s still experimental.

Google has offered AI-powered calling capabilities for some time, but previous versions were limited in what they could do. With this update, Gemini will now be able to share user-approved personal information as part of a call, which the company says will enable a wider range of actions.

Additionally, Google says users can track calls as they occur and take over calls at any time. “Call for Me” also uses your personal phone number when making a call, dialing directly from your phone.

Google says the AI ​​can handle complex tasks such as calling stores to ask if an item is in stock, making restaurant reservations, rescheduling appointments to another date, and putting items on hold.

AI can call businesses and introduce themselves, navigate automated phone menus, wait on hold, and handle the conversation on the other end. Meanwhile, users can follow the progress of the call through a live transcript of the conversation.

This announcement builds on years of experimentation with AI-assisted automated calling technology at Google.

A few years ago, the company surprised people at the I/O developer conference by demonstrating how the Google Assistant could call salons to schedule appointments and even add a few “ums” and “ahs” to make conversations seem more natural.

Last year, Gemini rolled out Ask for Me, a feature that allows users to call companies on their behalf to inquire about pricing, services, and more. People with Pixel smartphones also have access to features like “Hold for Me” and “Talk to a Live Rep,” which lets you navigate the phone tree and automatically put you on hold until a real person answers your call. Another option, “Direct My Call,” allows you to view a number to navigate the IVR system.

Google said it is starting the experiment on a small scale because “real-world conversations have nuances” and needs time to get the feature right before rolling it out more broadly.