Optus has this morning announced ‘AI-powered Call Effects’ and you’d be forgiven for thinking this sounds like an awful idea.
Call Effects, Optus said, is designed to “bring fun and evolve the way friends and family connect on the traditional phone call”. Optus also said Call Effects will “help Australians add some joy into their everyday phone calls”. Which is the same thing, said a different way.
But how exactly is Optus making a phone call fun? “Optus has integrated AI technology into phone calls to add a bit of levity to the standard call,” so you’ve said, Optus. But howwwww? We don’t really know – Optus’ press release just keeps on sayin’ Call Effects will make a phone call fun.
It does add, however:
The latest feature from the Living Network uses Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology, which is also used for Living Networks’ Optus Call Translate and Optus Call Notes features, to trigger a series of light-hearted, in-call experiences, making conversations more entertaining.
The Optus Living Network is the way the telco talks about innovations it passes down to customers, including call transcription and live translate features.
The Call Effects product will launch with four skills initially. The first is Crystal Ball, which you can ask the AI for “answers to life’s deepest questions” (probably, ‘What’s the weather in Sydney’); Coin Toss, flip a coin and let fate decide (probably for deciding between two places to eat at); Dinner Roulette, “Can’t decide what to eat? Spin the wheel” (OK two ways I can work out where to eat); and 21 Questions. Optus is here to be your awkward dating phone call cupid.
“As part of creating an innovative network experience, our latest Living Network feature uses AI technology in the traditional phone call, delivering a fun experience exclusively for our customers. Messaging has emojis, video has AR filters, and now phone calls on the Optus network have Call Effects,” Optus MD of the telco’s marketing and revenue team Matt Williams added.
There are more features coming soon to Call Effects, Optus said. You can activate the feature if you’re an Optus customer through the telco’s app.