FCC Must Reject Effort to Flood Voters with AI-Powered Robocalls Ahead of the Midterms
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has called for public comments on a petition by the advocacy group Club for Growth that would allow political robocalls, including those using an AI-generated voice, to cellphones without prior consent. FCC approval of the scheme would subject people to more unwanted, automated calls and could spread misinformation and “deepfakes” mimicking recognizable voices ahead of the midterm elections.
Urge the FCC to Reject Club for Growth’s Push to Flood Voters with AI-Driven Robocalls
A federal law, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), requires robocallers to obtain consent before making automated calls to cellphone numbers. Callers who ignore the law can face expensive private lawsuits or government enforcement actions.
But the Club for Growth wants to scrap that protection. The petition proposes, instead, that callers be allowed to make AI-generated political calls to cellphones as long as they are limited to three calls per 30-day period and stop within 10 days of being asked to stop – a limitation advocates warn is meaningless due to the multitude of political action committees, campaigns, and non-profits that could make unsolicited, AI-voice robocalls. Allowing calls to continue for 10 days after a stop request will let political callers of any party bombard voters in the run-up to the election.
The well-documented problems with AI chatbots, including hallucinations and sycophancy, make these proposed calls more than just a nuisance: AI-generated conversations could distort the facts and push people toward extremism.
Submit Comments on FCC Proceeding 02-278 Today!
Tell the FCC to maintain the integrity of the U.S. telephone system – and the election process – and reject Club for Growth’s attempt to unleash unwanted, AI-voiced political robocalls.
*To submit a comment, type 02-278 on the “Proceeding(s)” line; enter your name and address, type your brief comments sharing your concerns with AI-voiced political robocalls and urging the FCC to reject Club for Growth’s petition; agree to the privacy terms; review; and submit.*
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