While many robocalls are initiated by businesses, the landscape is evolving, particularly for service providers such as auto repair shops and nail salons. Upcoming changes are set to introduce an influx of AI-generated customer inquiries, reminiscent of the popular “Karen” meme.

Google is unveiling an innovative AI capability through its “Ask for me” option available in Google Search Labs. This tool acts as a virtual assistant, designed to streamline the process of gathering information about services and availability. After activation, the “Ask for me” button will appear for select searches, allowing users to efficiently gather vital details from local businesses.

Upon engaging the “Ask for me” button, users will complete a form specifying details like their vehicle’s make, model, required services, and their preferred time for an appointment. The AI will then reach out to various local businesses, sending results via email or text once responses are received; however, there’s currently no feature to request calls to a particular business.

From the perspective of business owners, each incoming call will prefix with an announcement indicating it’s generated by an automated system representing a potential customer, as explained by Google’s spokesperson, Craig Ewer, to The Verge.

For those who find this development unwelcome, business owners have the choice to opt-out. This can be done via their Google Business Profile settings or directly instructing the AI to refrain from calling. For businesses that choose to participate, Ewer stated that Google is implementing measures to prevent overwhelming them with excessive calls, using data from previous inquiries to streamline future interactions and reduce disruptions.

On social media platform X, Google product lead Rose Yao highlighted that the Ask for me feature is powered by Duplex. Duplicating an existing Google service that leverages AI for making reservations, it’s primarily utilized for gathering information rather than finalizing bookings. Currently, this experimental feature is limited to nail salons and auto repair shops, but there is potential for future expansions across different service sectors.