A.I.’s day job is still destroying civilization, but it’s also picking up a side-hustle as your personal answering machine.
AT&T is testing a new “A.I. receptionist” that screens your calls… kind of like a bouncer for your phone. Its job? Block spam, make you look important, and occasionally irritate your grandma when she calls to ask about Netflix.
Here’s how it works: When a call comes in, the bot answers with questions like, “Who may I say is calling?” or “What’s this in regard to?” If the caller gives the right answers, the call gets through. If not, the system hangs up or takes a message. Basically, it’s like caller ID on steroids… with a passive-aggressive personality.
This could be a game-changer for anyone who can’t just ignore numbers they don’t recognize… like doctors, business owners, or people who owe money to six different credit card companies.
There are a couple of catches though.
- You might have to interact with the A.I. receptionist yourself, which means you could get interrogated like you’re trying to enter Fort Knox, when you’re just calling a friend. (People would be able to whitelist numbers.)
- And yes, it does raise the terrifying possibility of your A.I. and the telemarketer’s A.I. getting stuck in an endless loop of “What is this in regard to?” until the heat death of the universe.
The system will roll out this year for select AT&T customers. No word on when it’ll go nationwide… but hey, at least until the robots take over, your car’s extended warranty guy might finally stop calling. Or, have someone else to talk to.