Google’s AI-Powered Business Calls
How Google is revolutionizing local business search with AI technology
🤖 AI-Powered Local Business Calls
Google’s AI now contacts businesses directly to gather pricing and availability information for services like pet grooming and dry cleaning, eliminating the need for users to make multiple manual calls.
⚡ Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode
The new search experience is powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro, offering enhanced capabilities for advanced search experiences. These features are prioritized for paid subscribers on AI Pro and AI Ultra tiers.
🔄 Streamlined User Process
Users simply search for a service, select “Have AI check pricing,” answer service-specific questions (such as pet type, services needed, and timing), and receive consolidated results without making calls themselves.
🔊 Transparent Automation
All AI-powered calls begin by clearly identifying themselves as automated systems from Google, ensuring transparency and avoiding confusion for business owners receiving the calls.
⭐ Subscription-Exclusive Features
Higher-tier subscribers receive priority access to these features, increased usage limits, and additional capabilities like Deep Search for conducting more in-depth research.
🏪 Multi-Service Support
The PBS (Price and Business Services) Format works across various industries including dry cleaning, pet grooming, and other local services, with customizable queries tailored to each business type.
Your Phone Is Now Your Personal Assistant: Google Unveils AI That Calls Businesses and a Major Gemini Upgrade
Imagine this: you need to find out the price of a haircut at three different local salons, but you dread the thought of making the calls, waiting on hold, and repeating the same questions. What if your phone could just… do it for you? That’s no longer a scene from a sci-fi movie. Google just flipped the switch on a new feature in the U.S. that allows its AI to call local businesses on your behalf.
But that’s not all. For those who want to push their AI interactions to the next level, Google is also rolling out a significant upgrade for its subscribers: access to the powerhouse Gemini 2.5 Pro model directly within Google Search’s AI Mode. This one-two punch of practical assistance and raw AI power signals a major step in Google's quest to transform its search engine from a list of links into a true digital assistant that gets things done in the real world. We’re exploring how this new AI business calling feature works, what the Gemini 2.5 Pro upgrade means for power users, and the broader implications of an AI that can pick up the phone.
First, Your AI Will Handle the Small Talk: How the New Calling Feature Works
The idea of an AI making calls isn't entirely new for Google. Many remember the 2018 demo of Google Duplex, which wowed and worried people with its incredibly human-like conversational abilities. Now, the concept is back, refined and integrated directly into the tool billions use every day: Google Search.
The feature is designed to be straightforward. When you search for a local service—like “pet groomers near me” or “dry cleaners open now”—you might see a new button that says, “Have AI check pricing.” Tapping this kicks off a simple, guided process.
👉 From Search Bar to "Hello?": A Step-by-Step
- Initiate the Search: You start with a standard Google Search for a local business or service.
- Tap the AI Option: If the business category is supported, the "Have AI check pricing" option appears.
- Provide Details: Google will then ask you for specifics. For a pet groomer, it might ask for your pet’s breed and the services you need (like a bath, nail trim, etc.). For a restaurant, it could be about wait times for a table. You also specify how you want to receive the results, via text or email.
- AI Takes Over: Once you submit the request, Google's AI—a combination of its Duplex technology and the newer Gemini models—places the calls.
- Get Your Summary: The AI gathers the information from one or multiple businesses and presents you with a neat, consolidated summary of pricing and availability, saving you the time and effort of doing the legwork yourself.
🤔 A Throwback to Duplex? How This Time is Different
The ghost of the 2018 Duplex demo looms large. The primary concern back then was transparency; the AI sounded so human that people on the other end of the line might not know they were talking to a bot. Google has taken this feedback seriously.
With this new iteration, the AI explicitly identifies itself. Robby Stein, Google Search's Vice President of Product, explained that the AI will clearly state it is a Google bot calling on behalf of a customer. This approach aims to build trust and avoid the ethical gray areas that made some people uncomfortable with the original Duplex concept. The focus is less on mimicking a human and more on efficiently gathering specific, factual information.
Businesses on the Other End of the Line: Control and Transparency
What about the small business owners receiving these calls? Google says this feature creates "new opportunities for businesses to easily book customers." However, not every business may want to interact with automated systems.
To address this, Google has provided controls. Business owners can manage their preferences and opt out of receiving these AI-powered calls through their Google Business Profile settings. This gives them the final say on whether they want to participate, ensuring they aren’t unwillingly pulled into Google's AI experiment.
The Power-Up: Gemini 2.5 Pro Arrives in AI Mode for Subscribers
While the AI calling feature is rolling out to all users in the U.S. (with higher usage limits for subscribers), Google is reserving its most powerful new tool for those who pay for its premium AI plans. Subscribers to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra are getting a major engine upgrade in their Search experience.
What is AI Mode and Who Gets the Upgrade?
AI Mode in Google Search provides generative AI-powered summaries and answers at the top of your results page. Starting now, subscribers can switch the model powering this mode to Gemini 2.5 Pro. The default model remains available for quick, everyday assistance, but the 2.5 Pro option is there for when you need more intellectual horsepower.
Gemini Models Compared: What Does 2.5 Pro Bring to the Table?
While the default Gemini model is highly capable, Gemini 2.5 Pro is engineered for more demanding jobs. It's a leap forward in the model's ability to handle complexity.
| Feature/Capability | Standard Gemini Model (in AI Mode) | Gemini 2.5 Pro (for Subscribers) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Use Case | ✅ Fast, all-around assistance for general queries | 🚀 Advanced, complex tasks requiring deep reasoning |
| Core Strengths | Quick summaries, straightforward answers | Enhanced reasoning, math, and coding abilities |
| Context Window | Standard context window for basic queries | 🧠 Can handle a massive 1 million token context window |
| Special Features | Standard AI Overviews | Powers Deep Search for in-depth, multi-page reports |
| Ideal For | "What's the weather?" "Who won the game?" | "Explain quantum computing and write a Python script to simulate it." |
🚀 Beyond Simple Queries: Deep Search and Complex Reasoning
The true value of Gemini 2.5 Pro shines when you tackle complex topics. It powers a new capability called Deep Search. Instead of just giving a quick summary, Deep Search breaks down your query, performs extensive research across the web, and compiles a comprehensive report for you. This is for the moments you aren't just looking for an answer, but for a deep understanding of a subject.
This upgrade is a clear move to cater to professionals, developers, and researchers who rely on Google for more than just surface-level information. You can find more details about Google's various AI plans and features on their official page. For instance, the Google AI Plans and Features page outlines the benefits that come with subscriptions like Google AI Pro and Ultra.
The Human Element: Expert Perspectives on AI Agents Taking Over
The launch of an AI that can interact with the world on a user's behalf is a significant milestone. It moves AI from a passive information retriever to an active agent. Google describes this as a new "agentic capability."
Some experts see this as a massive win for accessibility and convenience. For individuals with social anxiety, busy schedules, or certain disabilities, offloading the task of making phone calls can be liberating.
However, concerns remain. Some worry about the potential for these systems to become a nuisance for businesses if not properly managed. Others point to the continuing need for transparency and the potential for misunderstandings or errors when a bot is brokering communication. Google’s approach of clear identification and opt-out controls for businesses is a direct attempt to mitigate these issues.
What Does This Mean for Your Daily Routine?
These two updates, though distinct, point toward a unified vision for Google: an AI that seamlessly blends into your life to save you time and augment your intelligence.
The Convenience Factor: Saving Time and Hassle
The AI calling feature is the embodiment of practical AI. It's not about creating art or writing poetry; it's about handling a mundane but necessary task. By automating these small interactions, Google hopes to free up mental energy for more important things. Instead of spending 15 minutes on the phone, you can send a request and get a summary delivered to you.
The New Digital Divide? Access and Subscription Tiers
The bifurcation of these features—one for everyone, the other for subscribers—highlights a growing trend in the AI space. While basic AI assistance is becoming a free, standard utility, the most powerful and advanced capabilities are being positioned as premium products. Access to cutting-edge models like Gemini 2.5 Pro and features like Deep Search will likely be a key differentiator for paid AI services moving forward.
Where Do We Go From Here? The Trajectory of Agentic AI
This is just the beginning. Google has stated that AI-powered calling is one of many "agentic" features it's developing. The long-term vision is an AI that can understand your intent and take multi-step actions to accomplish a goal, whether it's booking a complete vacation itinerary or managing your calendar.
The introduction of Gemini 2.5 Pro in Search provides the powerful reasoning engine needed to make these more complex agentic tasks possible. As these models become more capable, we can expect to see AI assistants that do more than just answer questions—they will start to anticipate needs and execute tasks with increasing autonomy.
The Final Word on Google's AI-Powered Future
Google's latest announcements are a clear declaration of its strategy. It's leveraging its massive reach through Search to deploy practical AI tools for everyone, while simultaneously building a premium tier for users who demand the absolute cutting edge of AI performance.
The AI calling feature, a direct descendant of the Duplex project, is a cautious but confident step into a world where AI agents handle our daily chores. At the same time, the Gemini 2.5 Pro upgrade provides a glimpse into a future where our AI companions are not just assistants, but powerful research partners. The phone call you don't have to make today might just be the first of many tasks you hand off to your AI tomorrow.
