Microsoft builds its own human-sounding AI to counter Google Duplex
The idea behind AI that talks are to aid in certain circumstances where a conversation between a real human and a machine is seamless.
AI is the hottest new trend in the industry and after Google soaked its hands early with Duplex, Microsoft is unlikely to be far behind.
Microsoft's chatbot called XiaoIce, which was first announced in April, was demoed in a video published on Tuesday that showcased its capabilities of talking like a real person over a phone call, Mashable reported.
The idea behind AI that talks are to aid in certain circumstances where a conversation between a real human and a machine is seamless. So far, the use cases demoed by Google include calling up the local salon to fix an appointment or booking a table at a restaurant.
However, the human-sounding AI has caused a stir amongst the real humans primarily for privacy and security reasons. Google recently announced that its Assistant will alert users when they are talking to an AI at the beginning of the conversation and whether it is being recorded.
It remains to be seen how well XiaoIce and Google Duplex stand against each other and which is more human than the other.