ATTORNEY GENERAL JACKLEY REQUESTS FCC TO RESTRICT USE OF A.I. IN MARKETING PHONE CALLS

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Thursday, January 18, 2024

PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and 25 other Attorneys General are asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to restrict the use of artificial intelligence by telemarketers.

In November, the FCC posted a Notice of Inquiry requesting input on the implications and usage of A.I. technology in consumer communications and how the technology fits under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Specifically, the FCC inquired about the potential ability of A.I. technologies to act as the functional equivalent of a live agent.

Pursuant to the TCPA, robocalls are those calls made using an artificial or prerecorded voice. Such calls are generally prohibited unless the calling party obtains the prior express written consent of the consumer.

"These calls manipulates consumers by sounding like a real person," said Attorney General Jackley. "Scammers are always looking for ways to harm consumers, and the federal government needs to act."

Other Attorneys General on the bipartisan letter are from states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.

A copy of the comment letter can be found here.