FCC seeks comment on request to allow AI political calls to mobile phones

A request before the regulator

The US Federal Communications Commission is considering a request from Club for Growth to permit political calls to mobile phones without the recipients’ prior express consent, including calls that use AI-generated voices. Reuters reported the request on October 7 and said the FCC is accepting public comments through October 19. That comment period is a procedural step, not permission to begin making the proposed calls. The group says a human would initiate each call and AI would conduct the subsequent conversation. Whether that setup qualifies for an exemption is the question before the agency, rather than a settled interpretation of current rules.

The disputed boundary

Reuters reported opposition from consumer advocates and FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who warned about the implications for unwanted political calls. Those objections are positions in the proceeding, not an FCC decision. The case tests how consent rules should apply when a person starts a call but software supplies the voice and handles the exchange. It could affect campaign outreach before the US election, but the commission has not granted the petition or announced a final rule. Any claim that AI political robocalls have already been authorized would go beyond the current record.