Robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned the use of artificial intelligence (AI) generated voices in robocalls on Thursday just weeks after a message imitating President Biden went out to New Hampshire residents ahead of the state’s primary election. The agency unanimously adopted a ruling recognizing AI-generated voices as “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which restricts telemarketing calls and the use of artificial or prerecorded voice messages. The law gives the FCC…

Calls made with AI-generated voices are illegal, the Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday, after a fake robocall imitating President Joe Biden sought to dissuade people from voting for him in New Hampshire's Democratic primary election.The declaratory ruling gives state attorneys general new tools to go after the entities behind the robocalls, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said.Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill CoursesOffering CollegeCourseWebsiteMITMIT Technology Leadership and…

Robocalls made with AI-powered voice-cloning technology have been banned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a bid to reduce fraud and election-related misinformation. The new ruling gives state attorneys general the relevant powers to take action against those behind calls using AI voice-cloning technology. In a release shared on Thursday, the FCC said the rate of such calls has risen in recent years, adding that they have the potential to “confuse consumers with misinformation by imitating the voices…

The FCC’s war on robocalls has gained a new weapon in its arsenal with the declaration of AI-generated voices as “artificial” and therefore definitely against the law when used in automated calling scams. It may not stop the flood of fake Joe Bidens that will almost certainly trouble our phones this election season, but it won’t hurt, either. The new rule, contemplated for months and telegraphed last week, isn’t actually a new rule — the FCC can’t just invent them with no due process. Robocalls are just a new term…

US regulators on Thursday declared scam "robocalls" made using voices created with artificial intelligence (AI) as illegal.The phenomenon gained attention last month when a robocall impersonation of US President Joe Biden urged people to not cast ballots in the New Hampshire primary. "Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters," Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a release.…

Robocalls have been a plague on society for years, but they made headlines recently when an AI-generated robocall imitating President Joe Biden’s voice told New Hampshire Democrats not to vote in the presidential primary.Days later, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed the commission should recognize calls made with AI-generated voices as “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), thus making them illegal. On Thursday, February 8, the FCC unanimously adopted that Declaratory Ruling,…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday made it illegal to place AI-generated robocalls to voters in the U.S. The issue came into sharp focus when New Hampshire voters received AI-generated calls in the voice of Joe Biden implying that if they cast a ballot in the state’s primary they couldn’t vote in the general election. The FCC commissioners voted unanimously to make explicit that the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which already outlaws artificial or prerecorded messages, also covers…

The Federal Communication Commission is moving forward with its plan to ban AI robocalls. Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday in favor of a Declaratory Ruling that was proposed in late January. Under the measure, the FCC deems robocalls made using AI-generated voices to be "artificial" voices per the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). That makes the practice illegal. The ruling takes effect immediately.“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members,…

Two companies based in Texas have been linked to a spate of robocalls that . The audio deepfake was used to urge New Hampshire voters not to participate in the state's presidential primary. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said as many as 25,000 of the calls were made to residents of the state in January.Formella says an investigation has linked the source of the robocalls to Texan companies Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom. No charges have yet been filed against either company or Life Corporation's owner, a…

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) identified Lingo Telecom, a Texas-based wireless provider, as the company that transmitted deepfake robocalls impersonating President Biden. The FCC sent the company a cease and desist letter, according to a press release sent to Gizmodo Tuesday, threatening to permanently block Lingo’s operations.Bruce Willis is Keeping His Face“Lingo Telecom, LLC is apparently originating illegal robocall traffic,” said the FCC in its cease and desist letter. “Failure to comply with the steps…