Truecaller and Microsoft introduce AI feature for calls

Caller ID company Truecaller will allow users to create a artificial intelligence (AI) of your voices to answer calls.

Truecaller is an app that identifies and blocks spam calls, preferred by some people over the default system on their phones. Now, the service will allow users with access to its AI Assistant to record their voices. The company has partnered with Azure AI Speech from Microsoft, which will learn from the recorded clip to generate an AI version of the user's voice.

“This innovative capability not only adds a touch of familiarity and comfort for users, but also demonstrates the power of AI in transforming the way we interact with our digital assistants,” says Raphael Mimoun, product director and general manager at Truecaller, in the blog post.

Truecaller's AI Assistant filters incoming calls and tells users the reason for the call. Customers can see the reason for the call and choose how to respond, whether by answering the phone or letting the assistant answer it for them. The Assistant, only available in select countries, was first introduced in the Truecaller app in 2022.

Users have always been able to choose from a pre-defined number of voices to represent them, and the company says that allowing users to record their own voices is a step towards further personalizing the service.

Azure AI Speech, introduced during the Building Conference, added a personal voice feature that allows people to record and replicate voices. A Microsoft says in one blog postHowever, personal voice is available on a limited basis and only for specific use cases, such as voice assistants.

A Microsoft claims that it automatically adds watermarks to voices generated by Azure AI Speech Personal Voice. It also launched a code of Conduct requiring users to obtain full consent from the people being recorded and prohibiting impersonation.

It remains to be seen how well the personal voice will perform compared to your own voicemail message.

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