FCC Proposes Making AI-Generated Robocalls Illegal to Safeguard Voters
Summary:
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposes to deem AI-generated robocall voices as illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This follows a misleading AI-generated message using President Biden's voice discouraging New Hampshire residents from voting. The primary goal of the TCPA is to safeguard consumers from uninvited and intrusive communications like automated telemarketing calls or messages. Advances in technology have seen an increment in these calls, able to deceive consumers by replicating the voices of famous personalities or relatives. If passed, the proposal would empower the national State Attorneys General to take action against these harmful calls.
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) head, Jessica Rosenworcel has put forth the idea of deeming phone calls using artificial intelligence-generated voices, as illegal. According to the guidelines and potential punishment set down in the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act), any such calls would be unlawful, as declared on January 31. This comes in succession to a deceitful message, designed with the use of AI, that replicated the voice of President Joe Biden encouraging the residents of New Hampshire not to participate in the state primary election. The mass-generated messages that used Biden's voice were created to interfere in the 2024 presidential elections. These fraudulent messages were publicly criticised by the attorney general office of the state, labelling them as misinformation.
The aim behind the suggestion is to outlaw such automated calls using the TCPA, a piece of legislation in the US dating back to 1991 that seeks to regulate automated marketing and political calls made without the prior consent of the recipients. The main objective of TCPA is to shield consumers from unwanted and intrusive communications like unsolicited automated messages and telemarketing calls.
In recent years, there's been a rise in such calls due to advances in technology that can trick consumers by imitating voices of famous personalities, political leaders or even relatives. If passed, this proposal by the FCC will grant additional power to the State Attorneys General across the country, allowing them to take action against individuals responsible for these harmful automated calls and enforce legal consequences.
In November, the FCC began an inquiry to gather knowledge regarding tactics to deal with illegal robocalls and the possible involvement of AI. Questions raised during the inquiry revolved around the role of AI in fraudulent activities, imitating familiar voices and if it requires regulation under TCPA. The FCC also showed interest in understanding how AI can be used positively, such as identifying and preventing illegal robocalls.
On January 29, about three months post the launch of an executive order by President Biden, the White House published a fact sheet detailing its vital actions on AI. The document reported "significant progress" towards the President's directive to "safeguard Americans from the possible risks of AI systems".
Deepfakes, synthetic media produced using AI have amplified concerns about AI-manufactured content. Both the World Economic Forum's 19th Global Risks Report and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's leading national intelligence organisation, have brought attention to the negative consequences of AI technologies and misinformation efforts that make use of AI deepfakes on the internet.
US lawmakers have been advocating for laws that criminalise the production of deepfake images, especially after the widespread distribution of false explicit pictures of Taylor Swift.
Published At
2/1/2024 1:30:00 PM
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