Dazzle AI and Duckbill report humans still needed for AI agent phone calls
AI agents built on cutting‑edge foundation models from Meta and OpenAI still stumble on tasks that require real‑world judgment, such as making phone calls or booking appointments. Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, now CEO of Dazzle AI, says the company relies on top‑tier models to generate suggestions but routes many tasks to human contractors to ensure reliable service. Duckbill CEO Meghan Joyce…
What you can do with it
AI at Work →Handle phone calls with Duckbill API
Connects AI agents with 1099 contractors to finish tasks like calls or bookings.
- Who for
- marketers
- Cost
- Price not stated
- Effort
- minutes
Use it for
- Handle phone calls
- Schedule appointments
Watch out Requires connection and contractor management
Key points from the news
- Dazzle AI and Duckbill use human contractors to finish AI‑agent tasks like phone calls
- Duckbill launched an API that splits tasks into atomic pieces for 1099 workers
- Meta’s internal Muse testing involved humans, sparking privacy concerns
The human‑in‑the‑loop strategy is also being adopted by Wajo AI, which uses people for phone calls and CAPTCHA challenges. Meta’s internal testing of human workers for its Muse agent raised privacy concerns, though the company says it does not currently use humans for user requests. Executives across these startups stress that combining AI with vetted humans is essential to maintain user trust and deliver consistent outcomes while foundation models continue to improve.
Model page: Muse →
Humans are still doing the work behind some AI agents
CNBC Technology · 31 October 2026
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This text was published by CNBC Technology and written by Jonathan Vanian. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
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