Essential's new AI phone will be a virtual version of you

Essential Products is apparently working on a new smartphone that will use AI to mimic phone users and texts people on their behalf. Essential Products is an American technology company and consumer electronics manufacturer founded by Andy Rubin, one of the creators of Android.

Essential ’s first hardware product, the Essential Phone, failed to attract consumers last year owing to company’s pitiful marketing and retail strategy. But differently this time, their new device will have a built-in AI agent that would mimic the owner and respond to emails and messages and book appointments on their behalf.

“You can be off enjoying your life… without touching your phone, and you can trust your phone to do things on your behalf,” said Rubin last year, in an interview talking about his dream of building a smartphone that is –as he says – a “virtual version of you”.

Many big tech companies are working towards building Conversational AI systems, and Google is indubitably a notable frontrunner. Google’s recently launched Duplex software mimics human voices and can make bookings and screen calls on user’s behalf. But currently, the AI agents have huge limitations and Conversational AI is still relatively basic.

Essential Products aims to have a first prototype of the new device by the end of this year, told a person familiar with the development of this product. The company may also want to show off the actual device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January, he added.