Google has expanded its voice app , Duplex , with users now able to screen calls through the platform . Unveiling the company 's new Pixel Phone smartphone , Google revealed that users can let Duplex answer calls on their behalf to ask who and what is the purpose of the call , then providing users with real - time transcripts of the conversation allowing them to decide whether to accept it , reject it or instruct Duplex that the caller should ring back later . When Google first demoed Duplex on stage, in May, the technology caused significant controversy because it mimicked human speech so convincingly without telling callers that they were speaking to a bot and being recorded. Google will , however , make it clear that callers are speaking to a friend , after coming under criticism for failing to disclose the information previously .
Google has expanded its voice app , Duplex , with users now able to screen calls through the platform . Unveiling the company 's new Pixel Phone smartphone , Google revealed that users can let Duplex answer calls on their behalf to ask who and what is the purpose of the call , then providing users with real - time transcripts of the conversation allowing them to decide whether to accept it , reject it or instruct Duplex that the caller should ring back later . Google will , however , make it clear that callers are speaking to a friend , after coming under criticism for failing to disclose the information previously .