Watch out Google Duplex: Microsoft just demoed its own AI having a full-on phone call

Google Duplex isn't the only big dog in AI Town. 

The artificial intelligence-powered assistant that can, in certain circumstances, have a real back and forth conversation with a human, has found a bit of competition in Microsoft's XiaoIce (that's a capital I not a lowercase L, and it's pronounced shao-ice). 

Microsoft announced back in April that its chatbot — popular in China — could speak and listen simultaneously (known as full duplexing), but didn't provide a demo at the time. That has changed.  

The Verge's Tom Warren published a video to YouTube on Tuesday showing a demo of the AI in action at a London eventAccording to The Verge, the video shows XiaoIce talking with what is reportedly a real person over the phone.   Read more...