AI can book a restaurant or a hair appointment, but don't expect a full conversation

Google recently unveiled its latest talking AI, called Duplex. Duplex sounds like a real person, complete with pauses, "umms" and "ahhs". The tech giant says it can talk to people on the phone to make appointments and check business opening hours. In recorded conversations that were played at the Google unveiling, it conversed seamlessly with the humans on the receiving end, who seemed totally unaware that they were not talking with another person. These calls left the technology-oriented audience at the Google show gasping and cheering.