When Google (GOOGL, -0.12%) unveiled its Duplex “AI” earlier this week, it sparked massive ethical concerns. Belatedly, the company seems to have recognized the problem.

The point of the new virtual assistant is to conduct phone calls on behalf of the user, making appointments and so on. Duplex is the culmination of a lot of Google’s work on machine-learning and natural-language technology—in other words, it sounds and comes across like a real person.