The FCC issued a declatory ruling that prohibits the use of AI-generated voices for robocalls, under the protections afforded under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The ruling also encompasses current uses of AI in robotexting, e.g., interacting with consumers as though they were live human callers.
The FCC also finds “that certain AI technologies such as ‘voice cloning’ appear to fall within the TCPA’s existing prohibition on artificial or prerecorded voice messages because this technology artificially simulates a human voice”.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel states “The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is the primary law we have to help limit unwanted robocalls. It means that AI technologies like voice cloning fall within this law’s existing prohibitions and that calls that use this technology to simulate a human voice are illegal, unless callers have obtained prior express consent. It also means that when these calls happen, State Attorneys General across the country can go after the bad actors behind these robocalls and seek damages under the law.”
