Optus launches AI-powered Call Effects

• Optus Call Effects to bring fun to everyday phone calls
• Call Effects to launch with Crystal Ball, Coin Toss, Dinner Roulette and 21 Questions 

Optus today announces a new AI-powered voice function, Optus Call Effects, designed to bring fun and evolve the way friends and family connect on the traditional phone call as the latest innovation on the Optus Living Network.

Optus Call Effects will help Australians add some joy into their everyday phone calls with playful skills. Whether that’s flipping a coin to decide who should book that concert, asking the crystal ball whether to go on that date, or making a quick decision on what Saturday night take-away to order, Optus Call Effects will help customers make simple decisions.

Optus has integrated AI technology into phone calls to add a bit of levity to the standard call. The latest feature from the Living Network uses Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology, which is also used for Living Networks’ Optus Call Translate and Optus Call Notes features, to trigger a series of light-hearted, in-call experiences, making conversations more entertaining.

Once Optus Call Effects is enabled in the My Optus app, customers can trigger a voice skill in any call by saying, “Hey Optus”. The product will launch with four skills initially, with more to be rolled out in the future:

1. Crystal Ball – Request answers to life’s deepest questions;
2. Coin Toss – Flip a coin and let fate decide;
3. Dinner Roulette – Can’t decide what to eat? Spin the wheel;
4. 21 Questions – Get to know each other.

Matt Williams, Optus Managing Director, Marketing and Revenue, said, “As part of creating an innovative network experience, our latest Living Network feature uses AI technology in the traditional phone call, delivering a fun experience exclusively for our customers. Messaging has emojis, video has AR filters, and now phone calls on the Optus network have Call Effects.

“Our advanced calling features in the Living Network to date, Optus Call Translate and Optus Call Notes, solve specific challenges, but Optus Call Effects is all about just having some fun. As the product evolves, we plan to add more new experiences,” added Matt.

Optus Call Effects is another innovative solution that is adaptive to customers’ needs and enables unique experiences in the moments that matter to them. Optus Call Effects will be made available to all customers free of charge via the My Optus app. The Living Network product is available on post-paid plans at launch, with prepaid to launch later in the year.

The Optus Living Network, launched in May 2021, is a collection of on-demand innovative network features designed to empower Optus customers to transform their daily connected experience simply within the My Optus app, all powered by Optus’ world-class network.

The Optus Living Network includes: Internet Turbocharge and Mobile Turbocharge, Network Pulse, Unlimited Data Day, Donate Your Data, Donate Your Device, Call Translate, Pause, WiFi Secure, Game Path®, Call Notes, and Eco with more features to come.

-ENDS-

Media contact: 

Nicole Higgins

Ph: (02) 9037 8179

E: media@optus.com.au