Another step to protect us from artificial intelligence has been taken, as the Federal Communications Commission deemed the use of voice-cloning technology in robocalls to be illegal.
The action from the FCC will also now give states another tool to go after fraudsters behind the calls, as the ruling goes into effect immediately.
Recently, there has been an increase in AI robocalls that can confuse people with recordings that mimic the voices of celebrities, political candidates, and even family members of unsuspecting victims.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared that the ruling was necessary to protect those who would fall vulnerable to AI-generated calls.
“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform votes,” Rosenworcel said in the ruling.
The action from the FCC comes after an incident that happened before the New Hampshire presidential primary last month, where robocalls impersonating President Joe Biden encouraged voters not to cast ballots in the contest.
It is believed that as many as 25,000 of the calls were made, CBS News reported.
But now, thanks to the ruling, states will be more equipped to handle the scam calls and protect their residents.
“State attorneys general will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from fraud and misinformation,” Rosenworcel said.