I Tried Duckbill, an AI Executive Assistant for My Personal Life

I’ve seen a phrase circulating online that perfectly captures how I feel about artificial intelligence. “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do laundry and dishes.” 

While there’s been incredible innovation with AI in work, I’m yet to see a breakout app for AI at home. When I heard about Duckbill, an AI plus human personal assistant, I was intrigued. 

Could Duckbill’s new AI feature end the never-ending to-do list? It can handle any task, such as scheduling a dentist appointment, returning an online order, getting groceries, booking travel and curating personal gift recommendations. Experts are available upon request too, such as wedding planners or accountants. Duckbill’s AI analyzes the task and collects details, then the human “co-pilots” complete the request. 

Duckbill was founded in 2022, but the AI feature launched in October 2024. It’s a membership model with three paid tiers – $99 per month for individual, $169 for family and $449 for VIP. The Duckbill app is where all the action happens, but tasks can be submitted directly via text and email too. 

Let’s see what Bill, the app’s AI tool, can do. 

Getting set up 

I followed the sign-up process on the Duckbill website, then downloaded the app. I started to get texts from Duckbill, prompting my first delegation task. I filled out the onboarding form to give Duckbill more context about me, then played around in the app. 

I liked the interface and the various pre-populated prompts. I could browse through the Duckbill Directory for task ideas or go directly to the chat (they call it Threads) to make a request. 

My list is getting big – sending flowers, researching flights, finding better deals, looking into maternity leave in the US (as a freelancer). 

Bill’s going to be busy! 

I decided to test out two different types of tasks: 

1. Compare two water filters I’m looking to buy. 
2. Find affordable health insurance with IVF coverage. 

As with all AI, the results are only as good as the prompts. The same goes with Duckbill. I prepped each prompt with key information, problems I’m facing and what I want to achieve from the task, etc. 

The tasks 

Here was my first prompt.

Right off the bat, Bill sounded a lot like ChatGPT (Duckbill says it uses a combination of existing large language models and AI platforms). It provided handy information, followed by task options. 

I wasn’t ready to buy anything and was still in the information-gathering stage. I asked Bill for more details about reducing exposure to contaminants. 

After some chatting with Bill, I was leaning toward the AquaTru, but I wanted to chat with a copilot before I spend hundreds of dollars on a water filter. Bill gathers the initial details for the copilot to run with, so I requested human help and received a notification that they’d get back to me by the next business day. 

Next up, I opened a new thread and described my second request (affordable health insurance with IVF coverage), so the copilots could work concurrently on my tasks. 

I gave my information and this time, it took me straight to the copilot prompt, maybe because it’s a health-related request. 

I checked my Tasks and could see the two requests under In Progress. I made sure my notifications were turned on, so I’d see when it changed to Ready to Review. 

Now we wait. 

The day after, I received a text letting me know my tasks had progressed. 

I opened the Duckbill app and my two tasks had moved to “ready for review.” For the water filter task, the copilot put together more research in a Google Doc, which was helpful but still not definitive. It felt a bit like ChatGPT research, just repackaged. 

Here’s a snapshot of the document: 

I replied, asking for its recommendation for the filter that produces the safest water, as well as to check reviews. 

For the health insurance task, I could tell the copilot was a human. 

They attached a Google Sheet with information on insurance companies, plan names, monthly premiums, deductibles, primary care cost, specialist cost, prescription deductibles, generic drug costs, lab outpatient costs and ER costs.

I responded with a couple of questions regarding one of the plans, as well as asking them to confirm if IVF is covered on individual policies (as a freelancer), which I heard they don’t. 

I checked back three days later and it was still pending a response, but the water filter follow-up question was answered the following day. I got a conclusive answer about which filter to buy (and it was the one I was leaning toward too). There was a bit of repetition with its answers, but I was looking for a second opinion, which I got. 

I asked the copilot a couple of final questions about what the AquaTru doesn’t filter, with protection suggestions. The copilot said I need to be aware of water hardness, a lack of minerals, aluminum and plastic leaching. 

Here’s what the copilot advised: 

My copilot provided the appropriate Amazon links, then concluded with the suggestion to start with the base product and customize as my needs evolve.  

It was cool to chat through my specific questions, with same-day answers. For tasks that aren’t time sensitive, Duckbill works well. 

The IVF research task was a little more involved. Copilots can’t call providers on my behalf, but they suggested I use the secure system to add my income, Social Security number and personal details. 

I was apprehensive to do this with an app I’m not familiar with (we would definitely advise against throwing any of your personal details into an AI tool, due to the risk of data breaches), so I asked the copilot to do more digging on the ways freelancers can get health insurance with IVF coverage. For example, the unknown workarounds, strategies and tips from other freelancers. 

I was hoping my copilot would go down Reddit rabbit holes so that I wouldn’t have to, but instead, all I received was information about state subsidies and suggestions to consult a local broker and an IVF financing company. 

Aetna had advertised that it provides infertility coverage, so the copilot asked for my wife’s date of birth to see what it could confirm. Getting specific quotes wasn’t easy given marketplace plans require verbal identity identification through Experian. 

In the end, the copilot couldn’t help with this task.

The verdict 

The incomplete task wasn’t a fault of Duckbill, given it was a request that required sensitive information. However, I had hoped it would provide more research from forums, videos and communities. 

Duckbill is a handy little app to have on my phone when I need help with unimportant tasks, but it’s easy to lose momentum when there’s back and forth rather than real-time help.