Airtel launched a network-based artificial intelligence solution Wednesday. This would automatically identify and detect spam calls and messages. The AI-powered spam detection tool is aimed at helping users know the moment a spammer is calling so that they can decide whether to pick it or reject it. According to the telecom service provider, it developed the tool in-house. Interestingly, Airtel Payments Bank had recently unveiled a smartwatch with an in-built RuPay chip that enabled transactions.
The service provider announced this new AI-based tool for detecting spam in a press release, which is network-based-meaning the user doesn’t have to download an application or pay for a service in order to see spam calls and SMS. This feature will be free of cost for all Airtel users in India and auto-activate by default.
The company claimed that there was proprietary algorithm developed in house by data scientists of Airtel that could identify and classify calls and SMS it suspected as spam. The algorithm analyses multiple parameters before classifying a sender as a spammer, the company said. This includes the usage patterns of the sender, the frequency with which the sender sends calls and SMS, the duration of the call, among others. The company said all these parameters will be monitored on a real-time basis.
This cross-checks parameters and runs data with a centralized database for a final assessment. The AI has blacklisted URLs inbuilt within, and it scans each SMS in real-time to find out whether any such suspicious link has been sent.
Also, Airtel says the tool would detect behavioral anomalies, such as frequent IMEI number changes, which is particularly prevalent with bad actors.
While there are many apps through which users can search in Google Play and App Store and can detect spam, these are third-party tools often relying upon crowd-sourced information or even external methods to determine such callers. This Airtel tool is a first party solution whereby the user does not need to do anything to see this information, and with the backup of the company’s massive servers and databases, the relayed information is likely to be accurate as well.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
