Duplex is Google’s technology for handling tasks on a user’s
behalf, such as making appointments with a human-like voice. The technology is
now being spotted by some users on Google Assistant for Web in the form of Fast
Checkout during online shopping.
Duplex for web was first introduced by Google in late 2019 to buy movie tickets on behalf of users. You could select a movie, number of tickets, and seat directly in Google Assistant. The technology was further expanded this year to helping place orders for food, by automatically filling out payment details, and also to change stolen passwords in Chrome.
In October of 2020, Google ran a pilot test of Duplex to help with faster checkouts. There are some registered websites where Duplex seems to be available now; Hot Topic is one, for instance.
You can see the fast checkout option when you proceed to checkout
after adding a product(s) to your cart. An assistant panel will be displayed,
where you can select the fast checkout option, skip it, or disable it entirely.
Assistant will then confirm your contact information, payment method, and shipping
address and then automatically enter these details line-by-line on the
retailer’s site. The procedure will happen in real-time, so you can witness it.
Finally, Assistant will ask for confirmation. An error can also occur from the
end of Assistant, such as missing a field.
In case of using the feature for the first time, you will
first have to “agree” to Google Assistant in Chrome and “Fast checkout in just
a few taps” capability.
The feature is accessible to users in the UK and US for now.
