Truecaller and Microsoft will let users make an AI voice to answer calls

Truecaller is an app that identifies and blocks spam calls that some people prefer over their phone’s default system. Now the service will let users with access to its AI Assistant to record their voice. The company partnered with Microsoft’s Azure AI Speech, which will learn from the recorded clip to generate an AI version of the user’s voice.  

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

Truecaller’s AI Assistant screens incoming calls and lets users know why they are calling. Customers can see the reason for the call and can choose how to respond, either by picking up the phone or having the assistant answer for them. The Assistant, only available in select countries, was first introduced on the Truecaller app in 2022.

Users have always been able to choose from a preset number of voices to represent them, and the company says letting users record their own voices is a step in personalizing the service even more. 

Azure AI Speech, showcased during the Build conference, added a personal voice feature that lets people record and replicate voices. Microsoft says in a blog post, however, that personal voice is available on a limited basis and only for specific use cases like voice assistants. 

Microsoft says it automatically adds watermarks to voices generated by Azure AI Speech’s personal voice. It also released a code of conduct requiring users to get the full consent of people being recorded and prohibit impersonation.

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