Google launches Call for Me, letting Gemini place business calls for Pixel 11 users

Google has introduced Call for Me, a new Gemini feature that lets the AI assistant place calls to businesses using a user’s own phone number while clearly identifying itself at the start of the conversation. The rollout is limited for now: it is available only to U.S. users on the Pixel 11 lineup, including Pro, Pro XL and Pro Fold, and requires a paid Google AI subscription as well as the beta version of Phone by Google. Google says the feature remains a small-scale experiment because real-world conversations are nuanced. The product goes beyond last year’s Ask for Me, which could only gather information. Call for Me can now handle tasks such as changing appointments, booking restaurants, checking product availability and asking a merchant to hold an item, using user-approved personal details. Calls are recorded, transcripts can be reviewed in the Phone app, and the user can jump in at any time if Gemini gets stuck or says something wrong. The launch also lands in the same week that Meta’s Muse drew scrutiny over reports that it tested human contractors to place calls without properly disclosing that to users or merchants. Google has taken the opposite route, requiring Gemini to disclose that it is an AI assistant and setting clear limits on what it cannot do, including calling 911, making payments, sharing credit card numbers, Social Security numbers or passwords.