Airtel announced the launch of India’s first artificial intelligence-based spam detection solution, which is a step in the right direction given the rise of spam calls and messages.
Launched on the 25th of September 2024, this new instrument will notify Airtel users about potential spam messages in real-time, thus increasing the level of protection without the need for applications or service requests.
The company’s Managing Director and CEO, Gopal Vittal, noted that spam is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently: “Spam has emerged as a nuisance for customers.” We have spent the last twelve months solving this comprehensively.” The solution is designed as a dual-layer protection system: one layer functions at the network level and the other at the IT systems level. This makes it possible for the tool to handle 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls per day, which is the same as handling 1 trillion records in real-time.
The AI algorithm is self-built by Airtel’s data science department, and the following factors are taken into account: Frequency of the call duration of the call patterns of the sender to label the communication as “Suspected SPAM.” The system has already detected about 100 million spam call potential calls and 3 million spam SMS potential messages daily. Also, it warns users of the presence of links in the received SMS that lead to a virus by using a database of URLs of viruses.
It was launched at a time when service providers are feeling the heat of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that has directed service providers to restrict such promotional calls. Not only does it help Airtel’s customers avoid receiving such messages but also serve as the first company in the telecom sector to counteract spam.
