No, Google Duplex Hasn’t Passed the Turing Test
We’ve just relaxed our human ambition
Am I the only one who feels a tad underwhelmed by Google Duplex? My social media feeds are filled with gushing platitudes over the virtual assistant’s handling of a simple haircut appointment. Some are even claiming the Turing Test has been passed. Putting aside the ethical ramifications of abdicating such tasks to the robots (a topic worthy of its own post), I’m left wondering: is this how low we’ve set the bar for human conversation?
Google Duplex may score top marks for authentic tone and delightful mannerisms, but the topic of conversation was hardly riveting. The virtual assistant negotiated a hair appointment through rote responses with dialogue that left no room for spontaneity.
I might imagine a small handful of calls that I would abdicate to a robotised assistant. I gain no pleasure from ordering prescriptions or querying bills over the phone. But there are some conversations I would never compromise on, such as setting up my next visit to the local board-game cafe. The banter that often ensues when searching for a slot amid busy schedules is hard to describe, let alone emulate. Needless to say, my beloved nickname at the café (‘Spiced Chai’, if you must know) was birthed during one of these calls. I will opt for this human brand of…
