Hi HN! I’ve been working on Alto, an AI phone agent that can make phone calls on your behalf — things like handling errands, confirming appointments, or negotiating bills so you don’t have to.
Growing up, I often had to make phone calls for my mom because I spoke "better English." As a result, I’ve probably spent more time on hold with airlines, insurance companies, and small businesses than most people. But most AI calling tools today are built for businesses (sales calls, receptionists, etc.), so I wanted something for consumers — a personal agent you can use like Google Duplex, but with way more flexibility and real-world usefulness.
Many organizations still have frustrating phone systems with long wait times, bad menus, or no online alternatives. And these same businesses will probably refuse to ever change. Alto is meant to give you a way around that, especially when the only option is calling.
Right now it's early, but you can try Alto out for free. I'm working on features like profile memory (so it can remember things like your birthday or frequent flyer number), follow-up call chaining, voice customization, and eventually uploading documents for Alto to reference on calls.
Since this is a soft launch, I would actually prefer if you reach out before you buy a subscription — I want to ensure your intended use case works smoothly.
I would appreciate any ideas or pitfalls you see — thank you!
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Show HN: I made a Google Duplex alternative · HackerTrans
Growing up, I often had to make phone calls for my mom because I spoke "better English." As a result, I’ve probably spent more time on hold with airlines, insurance companies, and small businesses than most people. But most AI calling tools today are built for businesses (sales calls, receptionists, etc.), so I wanted something for consumers — a personal agent you can use like Google Duplex, but with way more flexibility and real-world usefulness.
Many organizations still have frustrating phone systems with long wait times, bad menus, or no online alternatives. And these same businesses will probably refuse to ever change. Alto is meant to give you a way around that, especially when the only option is calling.
Right now it's early, but you can try Alto out for free. I'm working on features like profile memory (so it can remember things like your birthday or frequent flyer number), follow-up call chaining, voice customization, and eventually uploading documents for Alto to reference on calls.
Since this is a soft launch, I would actually prefer if you reach out before you buy a subscription — I want to ensure your intended use case works smoothly.
I would appreciate any ideas or pitfalls you see — thank you!