Democratic FCC member warns of AI robocall misinformation risks in US

What the report says

Anna Gomez, the Democratic commissioner at the US Federal Communications Commission, is urging the agency not to approve artificial-intelligence-generated robocalls before the midterm elections in early November, warning that they could be used to spread misinformation and create confusion close to Election Day. The comments, reported by Al Jazeera and based on statements Gomez made to Reuters and The Associated Press, come as the FCC considers a petition from Club for Growth, a conservative fiscal policy group, seeking permission for political automated calls without prior consent.

According to the report, Club for Growth filed its request on August 31 and proposed limits such as no more than three calls to the same person in 30 days, plus an opt-out option. The FCC’s comment period opened on September 4, closed Monday, and responses are due October 19. The agency has not yet announced a decision. Current FCC rules already bar robocalls to cellphones and pagers without prior consent, while landline calls remain allowed.

The concern centers on AI voice cloning, which can make a call sound like a real person and enable impersonation. Al Jazeera noted that the FCC banned AI-generated voices in robocalls in 2024 after scams involving the technology increased. Gomez argued that weakening consent rules could invite unwanted political calls and misinformation.

The article also places the debate in a wider election-security context, citing a 2024 New Hampshire incident in which voters received an AI-generated robocall mimicking President Joe Biden. Several states have since passed disclosure laws for AI-generated campaign calls, reflecting broader efforts to regulate election-related uses of AI.