QUIET Act Mandates AI Disclosure on Robocalls, Doubles Fines for Impersonation Scams

The new Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive Electronic Telecommunications Act (QUIET Act) is taking aim at one of the most annoying parts of modern life: the flood of unsolicited calls and texts. This bill focuses specifically on the rising use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in those communications, requiring transparency and hitting scammers where it hurts—their wallets.

The New Rule: Say It Loud, Say It First

Section 2 of the QUIET Act establishes a mandatory disclosure rule for robocalls and texts that use AI to sound like a human. If a system is using AI to emulate a human voice or message, the person making the call or sending the text must disclose that AI is being used at the very beginning of the communication. Think of it as a mandatory disclaimer: before the automated voice launches into its pitch about your car’s extended warranty, it has to tell you it’s a bot. This is a crucial step toward transparency, especially as AI voice generation gets scarily realistic, making it harder to tell if you’re talking to a person or a sophisticated piece of software.

The bill defines a “robocall” broadly, covering any call or text made using automated dialing systems or artificial, prerecorded, or artificially generated voices. Crucially, the definition excludes communications that require “substantial human intervention.” This is where things get a little fuzzy: what counts as “substantial”? For a telemarketing company, this loophole might be tempting to exploit, but for the average person, the intent is clear—if it sounds like a human but isn't, you need to know immediately.

Hitting Scammers with Double the Fines

Section 3 addresses the truly malicious side of AI-driven communications: impersonation. We’re talking about those terrifying scams where AI is used to mimic the voice of a family member in distress or impersonate a bank representative to steal your personal information. The QUIET Act doesn't just frown on this; it doubles the maximum civil and criminal financial penalties for violations of the Communications Act when AI is used to impersonate an individual or entity with fraudulent intent.

For example, if a scammer uses AI to generate a voice that sounds exactly like your boss asking you to wire funds (a common fraud technique), and they are caught, the maximum fines they face are now twice as high. This enhanced penalty structure is designed to be a serious deterrent against sophisticated, high-tech fraud. It acknowledges that AI makes these scams easier to execute and harder to detect, and therefore the punishment needs to reflect the severity of the violation.

Real-World Impact: Less Guesswork, More Protection

For most people, the QUIET Act means two things. First, you should start hearing immediate disclosures on automated calls that are trying to sound human. This saves time and helps you hang up faster, knowing you aren't talking to a real person. Second, it sends a strong signal to the entities making unsolicited calls and texts—especially the fraudulent ones. If you are one of the many people who have been targeted by a convincing, AI-generated voice scam, these doubled penalties offer a measure of protection and justice, making it significantly riskier for bad actors to use these tools for harm.