US agency considers allowing new AI political robocalls before election

A Democratic ​member of ​the Federal Communications Commission ‌urged the ​agency on Wednesday not to approve a petition to ‌allow political AI-generated robocalls from conservative political group Club for Growth. The group, which is spending millions ‌of dollars ahead of the November US congressional ‌elections, asked the FCC to allow it to make political calls to cell phones "using an artificial or prerecorded ⁠voice - ​including an ⁠AI-generated voice - without obtaining prior express consent."

FCC Commissioner Anna ⁠Gomez said that if "the FCC allows a dark money ​group to flood Americans' phones with AI-generated robocalls ⁠they never agreed to receive, it would bring ⁠chaos ​so close to Election Day." Club for Growth President David McIntosh said the group wants "the FCC ⁠to treat First Amendment-protected political speech the same way ⁠it ⁠already treats wireless calls about package deliveries, bank accounts, and doctor's appointments."