Oct 8, 2026 · 5 min · 4 segments
Reuters and the AP reported on October 7 that the FCC is weighing a Club for Growth petition to let political groups call cellphones with artificial or AI-generated voices without prior consent, with…
Reuters reported this week that the Federal Communications Commission is weighing a request to let political groups call your cell phone with an AI-generated voice, no permission asked, before the midterms.
The request comes from Club for Growth, a conservative group that says it will spend about $175 million on this election.
It wants a waiver from the law that bans artificial or pre-recorded voices on cell phones unless you agreed to the call first.
I thought this was settled.
After the fake Biden call in New Hampshire, didn't the FCC say AI voices on robocalls are flat-out illegal?
It did, right after that call.
And that ruling still stands.
The group's argument is that these aren't robocalls at all, because a person starts each dial, and the AI only takes over once you pick up.
So a human presses the button, and the machine does the talking.
What does the conversation actually sound like?
The Associated Press says groups could play AI voice recordings or run a live language model that holds a conversation with you about the candidates.
Club for Growth says that lets it reach more voters in more languages and poll them more accurately.
And who's pushing back,
besides everyone who hates hearing their phone ring?
Ana Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, told Reuters it would let a dark money group flood phones with calls nobody agreed to and bring chaos close to Election Day.
When does this get decided? The election is four weeks out.
Replies to the FCC close October 19th, and the AP says the commission could rule by late October.
If it says yes, the group has offered a cap of three calls per person every 30 days, with an opt-out.
Three calls a month from one group.
How many groups are there? The AP's read is that a yes for one group opens the door to political groups of all stripes.
The consumer groups filing warned it would enrage the 98% of the country that owns a cell phone.
Its president, David McIntosh, says political speech deserves the same treatment as calls about package deliveries, bank accounts, and doctor's appointments.
Fair enough.
Reuters reported this week that the Federal Communications Commission is weighing a request to let political groups call your cell phone with an AI-generated voice, no permission asked, before the midterms.
The request comes from Club for Growth, a conservative group that says it will spend about $175 million on this election.
It wants a waiver from the law that bans artificial or pre-recorded voices on cell phones unless you agreed to the call first.
I thought this was settled.
After the fake Biden call in New Hampshire, didn't the FCC say AI voices on robocalls are flat-out illegal?
It did, right after that call.
And that ruling still stands.
The group's argument is that these aren't robocalls at all, because a person starts each dial, and the AI only takes over once you pick up.
So a human presses the button, and the machine does the talking.
What does the conversation actually sound like?
The Associated Press says groups could play AI voice recordings or run a live language model that holds a conversation with you about the candidates.
Club for Growth says that lets it reach more voters in more languages and poll them more accurately.
And who's pushing back,
besides everyone who hates hearing their phone ring?
Ana Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, told Reuters it would let a dark money group flood phones with calls nobody agreed to and bring chaos close to Election Day.
When does this get decided? The election is four weeks out.
Replies to the FCC close October 19th, and the AP says the commission could rule by late October.
If it says yes, the group has offered a cap of three calls per person every 30 days, with an opt-out.
Three calls a month from one group.
How many groups are there? The AP's read is that a yes for one group opens the door to political groups of all stripes.
The consumer groups filing warned it would enrage the 98% of the country that owns a cell phone.
Its president, David McIntosh, says political speech deserves the same treatment as calls about package deliveries, bank accounts, and doctor's appointments.
Fair enough.
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