Airtel on Wednesday launched a network-based artificial intelligence (AI) solution that will automatically identify spam calls and messages. The AI-powered spam detection tool aims to help users know when a spammer is calling so they can make an informed decision about whether to take or decline the call. The telecom service provider said it has developed the device in-house. Notably, Airtel Payments Bank recently launched a smartwatch with an integrated RuPay chip that enables transactions.
In a press release, the telecom service provider explained in detail about the new AI-powered spam detection tool. This tool is network-based, which means users do not need to download any app or subscribe to any service to view spam calls and SMS. It will be available to all Airtel users in India and will be automatically activated by default.
Airtel AI Spam Detection Tool
Photo Credit: Airtel
The company claimed that a proprietary algorithm was developed by Airtel’s data scientists that can identify and classify suspicious calls and SMS as spam. The algorithm analyzes several parameters before classifying a sender as a spammer. These include usage patterns of the sender, frequency of sending calls and SMS, call duration and others. The company claimed that these parameters will be monitored on a real-time basis.
The final evaluation is done by cross-referencing the parameters and running the data against a centralized database. The AI system has blacklisted URLs and scans every SMS in real time to understand if any suspicious link was sent.
Additionally, Airtel claims that the tool can also detect behavioral anomalies, such as frequent changes in International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers, which are considered typical of bad actors.
Although there are a number of apps that users can find in Google Play and the App Store that can detect spam, they are third-party tools and usually rely on crowd-sourced information or external methods to identify such callers. But trust. Airtel’s tool is a first-party solution where the user does not need to take any action to view this information, and backed by the company’s huge servers and databases, the information relayed is also likely to be accurate.
