Airtel, India’s second largest telecom operator, has announced rolling out of an AI-powered spam detection tool. The new tool, unlike many others available on app stores, is a network-embedded solution, which Airtel is touting as ‘India’s First’. According to an official release, the tool is auto-activated for all users and does not require any app downloads or service requests.
Spam calls have become an increasingly frustrating experience, both for users, telecom operators as well as regulatory authorities. Off late, India has increasingly seen frauds and cyber-thefts happening at break-neck pace, as spammers evolve their methods, which now includes using personal phone numbers for trapping consumers. The menace is widely reported and while government has actively tried to curb, it has been several steps behind. A solution from telecom operators, which have the necessary technology to trace and stop calls straight away, seems like the only possible solution.
“Spam has become a menace for customers. We have spent the last twelve months to solve this comprehensively. Today marks a milestone as we launch the country’s first AI-powered spam free network that will shield our customers from the continuous onslaught of intrusive and unwanted communications”, said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel.
Developed in-house by Airtel’s data scientists, the AI-powered solution uses a proprietary algorithm to identify and classify calls and SMSes as “Suspected SPAM”. The network analyses various parameters such as the caller or sender’s usage patterns, call/SMS frequency, call duration amongst several others, on a real time basis. By cross-referencing this information against known spam patterns, the system flags suspected spam calls and SMSes accurately.
Several users have already reported seeing ‘Suspected SPAM’ warnings on their caller IDs. Additionally, the solution also alerts customers to malicious links received via SMS. For this, Airtel has built a centralised database of blacklisted URLs and every SMS is scanned in real time by a state-of-the-art AI algorithm to caution users from accidently clicking on suspicious links. The solution can also detect anomalies such as frequent IMEI changes – a typical indicator of fraudulent behavior.
