Ai clone calls: startup promises to replace you on the phone – and track spam waste
A new venture, REALLY, is betting big on artificial intelligence, aiming to create a digital ‘clone’ that will handle your phone calls, freeing you from the endless barrage of spam and automated tasks.
The concept: an ai agent for everyday life
The brainchild of CEO Adam Lyons, REALLY’s core offering – dubbed ‘Clone’ – utilizes a beta ai agent trained on your individual voice patterns and communication style. Instead of you answering every ring, ‘Clone’ will step in, tackling routine calls like customer service requests, appointment rescheduling, and subscription cancellations. It’s essentially a personalized digital assistant designed to take the burden of phone communication off your shoulders.
Beyond basic calls: tracking spam waste
But REALLY isn’t just about convenience. Lyons has a more unusual ambition: to track how much time you waste dealing with spammers. The system logs every interaction, providing a detailed ‘scoreboard’ of your battle against unwanted calls. ‘You get a full recap and a running scoreboard of how much scammer time your Clone has wasted,’ Lyons stated. This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about reclaiming your time – and potentially exposing the sheer scale of nuisance calls.
Privacy first: a layer of protection
Recognizing the inherent concerns surrounding ai and personal data, REALLY prioritized building a robust privacy layer before integrating the ai component. Lyons emphasized that trust is paramount, stating, “Consumers won’t trust ai with their phone number if you haven’t shown them that you will protect their data.” This foundational approach—laying a solid groundwork of data security—is critical for gaining user adoption.
How it works – and how you train it
Setting up ‘Clone’ is remarkably straightforward. Users download the REALLY app (available on iOS and Android), define their call preferences – specifying which calls to answer, screen, or forward to voicemail – and even train the ai by recording a few minutes of a typical conversation. This allows the agent to mimic your voice and communication style, creating a genuinely personalized experience. The system then leverages the customer’s real phone number, streamlining the entire setup process.
Scaling up: a million subscribers in sight
Currently utilizing the T-Mobile 5G network, REALLY is targeting one million subscribers by the end of next year. The service starts at $50 per month, and Lyons remains tight-lipped about the current subscriber base. The company’s focus remains on iteratively improving the AI, ensuring it evolves to handle increasingly complex tasks and truly anticipate user needs – moving beyond simple call handling to encompass a broader range of automated assistance. The initial focus is on handling the calls that don't require your immediate attention, freeing you up for what matters most.