Trai moves to keep legit AI calls off spam list

Mumbai and New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is poised to implement measures to prevent legitimate AI business calls from being classified as spam by telecom providers, aiding the growth of the voice AI sector. Amendments are being finalized to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) which will compel businesses utilizing automated calling systems to disclose these calls to their telecom operators.

This move will empower operators to pinpoint genuine automated traffic on their networks and deter their internal anti-spam mechanisms from erroneously categorizing such calls as spam. Trai intends to announce the modifications this week, sources familiar with the details revealed to ET.

Businesses and registered telemarketers are mandated to transmit commercial communications exclusively through designated numbering series; otherwise, utilizing a 10-digit number could lead to action against spam dissemination. While the provision does not ban the use of AI solutions for marketing or commercial communications, the liability for numbering resources rests with the individual to whom the number is allocated. Any misuse could result in punitive action.

Telecom operators already employ AI-based solutions to identify spam, and numbers that are whitelisted or verified reduce the likelihood of legitimate commercial calls being labeled as spam.