Key facts
- The FCC is considering a request from Club for Growth to allow AI political robocalls without prior consent.
- FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez opposes the petition, warning of chaos and misinformation close to Election Day.
- Club for Growth argues current rules dampen freedom of speech and that similar rules apply to landlines.
- Consumer advocates warn the change could lead to a surge of unwanted, partisan, and potentially misleading automated calls.
- A similar AI-generated robocall mimicking Joe Biden's voice was used in New Hampshire during a past presidential primary.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering a petition from the conservative group Club for Growth that seeks to allow political robocalls to cell phones using artificial intelligence-generated voices without prior consent. The group argues that current regulations dampen freedom of speech and that similar rules already apply to landlines.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez has urged the agency not to approve the request, warning that it could lead to a "tsunami of robocalls and misinformation" flooding voters' phones shortly before the November US congressional elections. She stated that allowing a "dark money group" to inundate Americans with unsolicited AI calls would create chaos close to Election Day.
Consumer advocacy groups echo these concerns, warning that the proposed change could trigger a surge of unwanted, partisan, and potentially misleading automated calls during a critical period. Tim Harper of the Center for Democracy and Technology noted that such a ruling would create "a huge opportunity for abuse during a period where harm has outsized impact."
Club for Growth President David McIntosh stated the group wants the FCC to treat political speech the same way it treats calls about package deliveries or bank accounts. The petition suggests that AI-powered calling tools could help political organizations communicate more effectively, including in multiple languages.
Past instances of deceptive political robocalls have led to significant fines. In 2020, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were criminally charged and fined $5.1 million for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act with calls falsely warning voters about consequences for voting by mail. Additionally, a 2020 New Hampshire primary saw thousands of voters receive a robocall with an AI-generated voice mimicking then-President Joe Biden, suggesting they should not vote in the primary.