India's mobile carrier, Bharti Airtel, recently launched an AI-powered spam detection tool that should help tackle the growing number of spam calls and messages in India. The solution was implemented free of cost for Airtel customers. It will get activated automatically for all customers (more than 387 million!) without having to raise a service request or download another app.
On the first day after the AI-powered spam detection tool was implemented, it was able to identify more than 115 million spam calls and 3.6 million spam messages on its network, reports Mint. Airtel says that currently, the feature has been rolled out only to smartphone users, although it plans to expand it to feature phone users as well in the coming days.
Airtel's Managing Director and CEO, Gopal Vittal, explained how the tool works in a public statement:
“Designed as a dual-layer protection, the solution has two filters – one at the network layer and the second at the IT systems layer. Every call and SMS passes through this dual-layered AI shield. In 2 milliseconds our solution processes 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls every day. This is equivalent to processing 1 trillion records on a real time basis using the power of AI. Our solution has been able to successfully identify 100 million potential spam calls and 3 million spam SMSes originating every day. For us, keeping our customers secure is a burning priority.”
The spam detection tool was designed by Airtel in-house and uses a proprietary algorithm to identify and classify spam calls and SMSes. The network layer filter analyses various parameters, such as the caller or sender's usage patterns, call/SMS frequency, call duration, etc., in real time. Airtel then uses this information and cross-references it against known spam patterns, after which the system flags suspected spam calls.
Spam calls and text messages are a significant problem in India. India's Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and mobile carriers have worked together over the years to curb the spam problem. TRAI also recently allocated 10-digit numbers with the prefix 160 for service and transaction-related calls. This will make it easier for customers to identify calls from these 160-prefix series, which are now assigned to banks, insurance companies, stockbrokers, enterprises, and other businesses.
Airtel is currently rolling out the solution just for its customers in India. However, it plans to roll out this tool to over 550 million global customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa in the coming months.
Source: Mint
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