Shivan Bhargava, CEO, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, Bharti Airtel.
| Photo Credit: Arrangement
An Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered spam detection system that Airtel rolled out for its customers has helped identify and block 122 million potential spam calls and 2.3 million spam SMS (text) messages in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a top executive of the telecom service provider said.
“Integrated into the Airtel ecosystem, this cutting-edge offering allows the consumers to enjoy its robust safeguarding benefits without the need for any additional downloads, complex setup processes or disruptive changes to their normal routines,” said Shivan Bhargava, CEO, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, Bharti Airtel.
All Airtel mobile customers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana using smartphones – not available on feature phones — now have automatic access to the free-of-cost solution without needing to request service or download an app.
In a release, Airtel said the AI-powered solution, developed in-house, uses a proprietary algorithm to identify and classify calls and text messages as ‘suspected spam’. The network powered by a state-of-the-art AI algorithm analyses various parameters such as the caller or sender’s usage patterns, call/SMS frequency and call duration among others on a real-time basis. By cross-referencing this information against known spam patterns, the system flags suspected spam calls and SMSes.
The solution has two filters – one at the network layer and another at the IT systems layer. Every call and SMS passes through this dual-layered AI shield. In two milliseconds the solution processes 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls. This is equivalent to processing 1 trillion records on a real-time basis using the power of AI.
The solution also alerts customers to malicious links received via SMS. For this, Airtel has built a centralised database of blacklisted URLs and every SMS is scanned in real-time by an AI algorithm to caution users from accidentality clicking on suspicious links. It can also detect anomalies such as frequent IMEI changes – a typical indicator of fraudulent behaviour, Airtel said.
Published – October 08, 2024 08:23 am IST