Microsoft acquired an AI startup that helps it take on Google Duplex

We're going to talk to our technology, and everyone else's too. Google proved that earlier this month with a demonstration of artificial intelligence that can hop on the phone to book a restaurant reservation or appointment at the hair salon. Now it's just a matter of who can build that technology fastest. To reach that goal, Microsoft has acquired conversational AI startup Semantic Machines for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 2014, the startup's goal was to build AI that can converse with humans through speech or text, with the ability to be trained to converse on any language or subject.