In response to the government’s directive to eliminate spam calls and messages, Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and CEO of Airtel, announced the launch of an AI-powered spam detection solution. This tool aims to alert customers in real time about suspected spam communications.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has urged telecom operators to take immediate action against spam and to adhere to its guidelines regarding the whitelisting of URLs, APKs, and OTT links.
In an interview with IANS, Vittal highlighted that the new AI solution can identify 99.5 percent of spam messages and 97 percent of spam calls. The tool will be available to users starting Thursday and is designed to enhance user security by minimizing the risk of fraud.
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“Airtel has been developing this AI model for about a year,” Vittal explained. “Users will receive alerts about spam during calls, helping to protect them from potential scams. We aim to eventually cover the remaining three percent of spam calls.”
He emphasized that the service is free for all users, requiring no additional app downloads. The AI solution operates with a dual-layer protection system, utilizing filters at both the network and IT systems levels, ensuring that every call and SMS passes through this security shield.
“Our system processes 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls daily in just 2 milliseconds,” Vittal noted, adding that this equates to processing 1 trillion records in real time.
The newly implemented solution has already identified approximately 100 million potential spam calls and 3 million spam SMSs each day. Developed by Airtel’s in-house data scientists, this proprietary algorithm classifies calls and messages as “Suspected SPAM,” providing users with enhanced protection against unwanted communications.