AI-generated voices in robocalls are now illegal, FCC rules

FCC Declares AI-Generated Voices in Robocalls Illegal | Just Think AI
May 21, 2024

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday, took a significant step to address the illegality of AI-generated voices in robocalls. This comes on the heels of recent legislation taken against the unregulated use of AI. According to the ruling, state attorneys general now have the authority to crack down on those utilizing AI voice cloning technology to commit fraud and other illegalities.

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Diving deeper into the contents of the ruling, AI-generated voices are officially now classified as ‘artificial’ as stated in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This disposition imposes strict restrictions on the use of AI-generated voices for non-emergency communications or without consent. While the TCPA had previously prohibited the use of various forms of automated call practices, including the use of "artificial or prerecorded voices," it failed to provide more context on the inclusion of AI-powered voice cloning. The recent ruling therefore serves to shed more light on this ambiguity, making it clear that AI-generated recordings no doubt fall within the purview of the law.

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FCC Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, addressing the significance of this regulatory action, pointed to instances where ‘bad actors’ have exploited AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort and victimize vulnerable individuals. However, this will no longer be the case as the government with full authority of the law will ensure that these actors are brought to book, she added. 

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“We’re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice,” “State Attorneys will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from

fraud and misinformation.”

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While state attorneys general already had the power to go after perpetrators of robocall scams based on the fraudulent and exploitative nature of their activities, this latest ruling specifically targets the use of AI-generated voices. This means fraudsters will now be charged with breaking the law solely on this basis. 

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The FCC's move to outlaw the use of AI voices in robocalls was initially proposed just a month prior and has now been formalized into law following this ruling.

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There has however been heightened scrutiny surrounding the use of AI voices in robocalls, particularly in the aftermath of an incident such as in January wherein residents of New Hampshire received calls allegedly made using AI to impersonate the voice of President Joe Biden. The call was aimed at influencing the state’s presidential primaries,  as it admonished recipients to not participate in the exercise. Upon further investigation, the call was traced back to two Texas-based companies: Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom. 

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In response, the FCC issued a cease-and-desist order to Lingo Telecom, the company investigated to be responsible for illegally transmitting the robocall.

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