Lawmaker wants FCC to create AI tool for identifying scams

A new legislative proposal would require that the Federal Communications Commission create an artificial intelligence-powered platform to help Americans better identify likely scams.

The measure — introduced by Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah., on Thursday — calls for the agency to develop an online tool that is capable of assessing submitted “emails, text messages, website addresses and scans or photographs of physical material.”

The platform would then provide a rating “on a scale to be determined by the commission” that reflects the likelihood that the solicitations are scam attempts. 

“This legislation harnesses the power of AI to address evolving scam tactics,” Curtis said in a statement, adding that the online platform “would provide a secure, user-friendly tool to help individuals quickly determine whether a communication they’ve received could be fraudulent.”

Curtis is set to become the junior senator from Utah when the 119th Congress is sworn in early next year. 

Although the bill would seek to harness AI to better identify scams, the FCC has already taken some initial steps to crack down on the use of the emerging capabilities to target the U.S. public. 

The FCC unanimously issued a declaratory ruling in February that made the use of AI-generated voices in unwanted robocalls illegal. That measure came after New Hampshire residents received a call ahead of the state’s presidential primary in January that included an AI-generated voice of President Joe Biden urging residents not to vote.

The agency’s ruling targeted junk calls, however, and the FCC subsequently voted in August to propose new rules around the use of AI-generated calls, texts and robocalls. 

The FCC similarly advanced a proposal in July that would require broadcasters to include a disclaimer on all political advertisements that include artificial intelligence-generated content.

Despite the proposed rulemakings, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr — who has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the agency’s chair during the second Trump administration — has expressed concern that the agency could potentially “go way too far in terms of heavy-handed regulation before we've seen how the technology can play out.”