AI Voice Robocalls Banned by Federal Communications Enforcer (1)

It’s now illegal for companies to use AI-generated voices in robocalls targeting consumers under a unanimous ruling released by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday.

Voice-cloning technology is banned immediately following the decision that its use falls under the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which the agency and state attorneys general enforce. The law now covers uses of an entirely simulated human voice or calls that imitate a real person.

“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters. We’re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement distributed to media. “State Attorneys General will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from fraud and misinformation.”

The ban comes two days after the FCC issued a cease-and-desist order against the company responsible for an audio deepfake of President Joe Biden, used in robocalls to New Hampshirites discouraging them from voting in their primary election. The same day, 51 attorneys general making up the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force warned Life Corporation, the Texas-based company those calls, it could be violating the TCPA.

Violating the federal anti-robocall law can incur multimillion-dollar settlements from enforcers. The ban on voice-cloning tech seeks to “deter negative uses of AI,” according to ruling.

The FCC’s ruling follows a public inquiry on how the agency might regulate artificial intelligence-powered spam calls amid revelations in its December report to Congress that illegal robocallers were leveraging the technology to “mimic a real conversation” and defraud consumers.

To avoid triggering a TCPA violation, any entity using AI-generated voices in robocalls must obtain prior express consent from consumers and offer extra disclosures and opt-outs.

“To be clear, we understand that not all AI-generated calls may be deceptive or annoy all consumers,” the ruling said. “But the TCPA’s demands fully apply to those calls and, thus, consumers can themselves choose whether to receive them.”