Hang up and call Liza back on her number. The FTC’s advice: don’t trust the voice; call back on a number you know is hers. The real Liza will pick up and explain.

What may the agent say about Liza?

Her name and good times. A name and a time are enough to book. The less personal data goes into a call, the lower the risk.

What should the agent answer?

“Thanks, the client will check and call back”. Extras without her “yes” are off-limits in the brief. A polite no keeps both the booking and the money, and the decision stays with Liza.

Ask the AI for a script, rehearse and make the call herself. The main benefit of a calling agent is the prep: what to say and what not to agree to. You can get that right now.

Voice and calls

Lesson 18 of 22 in the course “AI Agents for Life”. Free, with animations and a quiz.

Talk instead of typing

The big assistants have a voice mode: you talk, the AI answers out loud, and you can interrupt it like in a normal conversation. It’s handy when your hands are busy: on the way to class, at the stove, on a run. Voice is great for brainstorming: you ramble, and the AI turns it into a plan afterwards. And it’s the best trainer for languages and interviews: ask the AI to play a strict interviewer and correct you after every answer. The brief works here too: say the goal, the rules and the format you want out loud.

AI that makes the call

The next step is an agent that phones people itself. In January 2025 Google began testing Ask for Me: the AI called nail salons and auto shops to find out prices and availability. In July the feature came to Google Search for all users in the US. Google confirmed that every such call opens with an announcement that it’s an automated system from Google calling on a customer’s behalf. In September 2026 Gemini started testing Call for Me on the Pixel 11 in the US: it waits on hold, books a table and reschedules appointments by itself. You see a live transcript and can take over the call.

A brief for a call

A call is riskier than an email: you can’t reread it before it goes out. Whatever’s said is said. So every decision is made before the call. Which questions to ask. What the agent may say about you: your name and good times, yes; your address and card number, no. In Call for Me, for example, Gemini shares only the personal details you approved for that call. What it can agree to on the spot, and what it should bring back to you. If the salon offers “a blow-dry for another €20,” without your “yes” there’s only one answer: no thanks, I’ll check.

The dark side: a fake voice

Scammers use the same technology. Back in 2023 the US Federal Trade Commission warned: a scammer can clone a loved one’s voice with AI, and a short audio clip is enough, for example from a social media video. The script is always similar: “you” call your family, you need money urgently, and they’re asked not to tell anyone. The FTC’s advice is short: don’t trust the voice. Hang up and call the person back on a number you know is theirs. Urgency plus secrecy together is the main sign that something’s wrong.

The code word

The simplest protection costs nothing: agree on a code word with your family. It’s never posted anywhere and only gets said in a real emergency. A voice can be faked; a word only you know can’t. Rule two: any call asking for money is a reason to hang up and call back on a known number. Rule three: urgency is a reason to slow down, not speed up. Tell your parents and grandparents about this: they’re the ones scammers call most often.

Try it: the stress-free call

Calling agents don’t work everywhere yet, but you can get their main benefit right now. Paste the brief below into a chat and fill in where and why you’re calling. The AI writes a call script with answers to awkward questions. Rehearse it in voice mode: let the AI play the receptionist. Then make the call yourself and paste the result back; the AI makes a summary and a reminder. If you have Call for Me or a similar feature, the same brief becomes the agent’s instructions.

Check yourself

What should Mum do?
Correct answer: Hang up and call Liza back on her number. The FTC’s advice: don’t trust the voice; call back on a number you know is hers. The real Liza will pick up and explain.
What may the agent say about Liza?
Correct answer: Her name and good times. A name and a time are enough to book. The less personal data goes into a call, the lower the risk.
What should the agent answer?
Correct answer: “Thanks, the client will check and call back”. Extras without her “yes” are off-limits in the brief. A polite no keeps both the booking and the money, and the decision stays with Liza.
What should she do?
Correct answer: Ask the AI for a script, rehearse and make the call herself. The main benefit of a calling agent is the prep: what to say and what not to agree to. You can get that right now.

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