Airtel Unveils AI-Powered System to Tackle Rising Spam Calls, Messages in India

Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, has introduced a new AI-powered system designed to tackle the increasing issue of spam calls and messages. 

This cutting-edge solution, the first of its kind in India, was built to enhance customer protection by identifying and flagging suspected spam in real-time. 

The service is automatically available to Airtel’s 387 million subscribers at no extra charge, ensuring widespread access without the need for customers to take any additional steps.

India and so many parts of the world have long faced a growing challenge of unsolicited communication, with many users receiving multiple unwanted calls and messages daily. 

A survey conducted by LocalCircles highlighted that 95% of Indians report receiving such calls regularly, with the majority experiencing three or more interruptions each day. Initiatives like the government’s “Do Not Disturb” registry have had limited success, with 90% of those enrolled still encountering spam.

Gopal Vittal, CEO and managing director of Bharti Airtel, stated that the company has worked intensively over the past year to develop a solid solution. Describing spam as a persistent nuisance, Vittal noted that the AI-driven system provides a dual-layer defence, filtering calls and messages both at the network and IT infrastructure levels. 

This approach allows the platform to handle an enormous volume of communication, processing 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls per day.

The AI technology behind this system uses a proprietary algorithm that assesses various parameters, including call frequency and duration, and usage patterns, to flag potential spam in real-time. 

Airtel claims the AI system identifies approximately 100 million suspected spam calls and three million spam messages daily. Additionally, it scans SMS content for potentially dangerous links, preventing users from inadvertently engaging in fraudulent or phishing schemes. 

The AI also monitors for unusual behaviour, such as frequent changes in device IMEI numbers, which may indicate suspicious activity.

With telephonic scams evolving continually, and fraudsters impersonating government officials as well as service providers, this initiative from Airtel aims to greatly reduce the threats faced by its users. 

The AI-powered spam detection system will reduce the annoyance of constant spam and also add a good layer of protection against malicious actors in the digital industry.