Airtel's AI system blocks 154 mn spam calls, 8 mn such SMS in West Bengal

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday claimed that its new AI-powered detection system successfully identified 154 million potential spam calls and 8 million spam SMS messages in Bengal since its launch nearly a month ago.

The telecom major said it offers the solution in West Bengal for free and customers need not to request service or download an app.

"As connectivity expands, customers are increasingly encountering scams, fraud, and damaging communications. To combat these digital risks, we introduced an AI-based solution designed to proactively spot suspected spam calls and messages." Bharti Airtel CEO (West Bengal & Orissa), Ayan Sarkar said.

Developed in-house by Airtel's data scientists, the AI-powered solution uses a proprietary algorithm to identify and classify calls and SMSes as "suspected spam".

There are apps offered by antivirus and digital security providers to identify and block potential spam and fraudulent calls and messages.

Blocking spam at the network level is a new value-added service for telecom majors as it will help them retain consumers, an analyst said.