States unite to fight AI-generated robocalls

LOS ANGELES – As scammers turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to generate illegal robocalls and texts, a coalition of 26 attorneys general has called on the federal government to take action.

Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined this coalition in response to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) inquiry into how AI technology might make it harder to protect consumers from scam calls and texts.

“In addition to being a daily annoyance, robocalls are often used by scammers to cause real financial damage,” said Bonta in a statement Wednesday.

“AI technology presents opportunities for new levels of deception by bad actors.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta says AI-generated robocalls are often used by scammers “to cause real financial damage.” FILE PHOTO

The coalition argued that AI mimicking human voices should be classified as a form of “artificial voice” under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and that “consumers therefore cannot be sent AI-generated robocalls that mimic a live caller without the consumer’s prior express written consent.”

The impact of illegal robocalls can range from a momentary nuisance to serious fraud, such as identity theft, and can result in life-changing financial losses, Bonta said.

In 2022 alone, fraudulent phone calls and texts led to more than $1 billion in financial losses nationwide, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The Filipino American attorney general said AI technology has the potential to make phone scams more sophisticated and believable. Scammers have been using AI technology to mimic live voices, including those of celebrities and distressed family members, he added.

The coalition includes the attorneys general of Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and Washington, D.C.

In January 2022, Bonta joined a bipartisan multistate coalition in asking the FCC to stop the flood of illegal foreign-based robocalls that “spoof” US phone numbers.

In August 2022,  he announced the launch of a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force to investigate and take legal action against telecommunications companies that allegedly brought foreign robocalls into the US.

In May 2023,  Bonta – as part of a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general – announced a lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly facilitating billions of unlawful robocalls that included Social Security Administration, Medicare and employment scams.