Google confirms Duplex will identify itself as a robot on calls after I/O demo drew accusations of deceit

Google's Duplex demo at I/O booked a hair salon appointment and a restaurant table over the phone, and neither business knew it was talking to a machine. The generated voice inserted lifelike pauses, um-ing and ah-ing, and answered the salon worker's "give me one second" with a wordless "mmm-hmm". The room cheered.

Critics called the demo deceitful. Zeynep Tufekci tweeted that it was "horrifying" and that Silicon Valley was "ethically lost, rudderless and has not learned a thing". Google has now confirmed to the Verge that Duplex will disclose what it is: "We are designing this feature with disclosure built in, and we'll make sure the system is appropriately identified. What we showed at I/O was an early technology demo." Wider testing was slated for that summer, covering restaurant reservations, salon appointments and holiday hours.