Google Duplex: Why people are so terrified by new human-sounding robot assistant

Google's "terrifying" new artificial intelligence feature has prompted concerns about the takeover of the robots and the abuse of AI. Many commentators have suggested that "Duplex" is not only strange but entirely unethical, and that it could signal an important moment in the acceptance and use of artificial intelligence. This week, Google announced a whole range of new AI features. But it was just one of them that took almost all of the attention: Duplex. That feature allows the assistant to call people on its owners behalf, booking them appointments or checking on the availability of restaurants.