Google Introduces AI-Powered “Ask for Me” to Take Care of Your Business Calls
On Thursday, Google launched a new experimental artificial intelligence (AI) function through Search Lab. The Ask for Me function, which can be found in Google Search, enables consumers to ask questions by having an AI chatbot call businesses. The Google Search app’s iOS and Android versions presently offer the capability to a limited number of users in the US. Users must register for and activate Google’s Search Labs in order to be eligible for the functionality in those areas. Search Labs launched Daily Listen earlier this month, which can produce audio summaries of a user’s Discover feed.
Google Announces in Search Labs “Ask for Me”
Google Vice President of Product Management Rose Yao introduced the new Search Lab function in a post on X (previously known as Twitter). The new AI-powered tool, which will be accessible through Google Search, can instruct the AI to contact companies in response to particular requests.
Once enabled, Google Search will automatically activate the feature. It only supports auto repair firms and nail salons at the moment. Users will now get a new Ask for Me card when they type in a pertinent search term.
The card appears with a call and sparkle icon and comes with a one-line description that explained, “Google will call local services to ask about their prices and availability.” On tapping the ‘Get Started’ button, a full-screen interface opens where users can select which service they need. So, if they have queried about auto repair, it will suggest options such as scheduled maintenance, oil change, tire rotation, fuel filter replacement, engine filter replacement, and more.
Following the specification of the problem, the feature looks for details about the car, like the manufacturer, year of manufacture, and distance driven. Users are then asked to choose their preferred service time and whether they want email or SMS updates.
After the procedures are completed, the AI calls companies in natural language to ask about availability and prices using Gemini’s capabilities. After 30 minutes, the function creates a comprehensive report on the subject and emails or SMS the data.
