Airtel's AI system cuts spam calls by 12% in just two months

Telecommunications service provider Bharti Airtel, which claims to be the first telecom network in India to fight spam, has detected 0.8 billion spam SMS messages and 8 billion spam calls in just two and a half months since introducing its AI-powered solution. Using a sophisticated algorithm, the AI-driven network has identified one million spammers per day, according to Airtel's spam report released on Monday. Thanks to the company's efforts to warn 252 million unique users about suspicious activity, the percentage of customers who answer spam calls has decreased by 12%.

Statistics on Spam and Demographics

The data reveals that 35% of spammers used landlines, with 6% of all calls and 2% of SMS messages on Airtel's network being reported as spam. Additionally, customers in Delhi received the most spam calls, followed by those in Western Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The majority of spam calls originated from Delhi, followed by Mumbai and Karnataka. The majority of spam SMS messages were sent from Gujarat, followed by Kolkata and Uttar Pradesh, with the most recipients being in Mumbai, Chennai, and Gujarat.

According to the data, male customers were the target of 76% of all spam calls. Furthermore, there were clear differences in the frequency of spam calls across various age groups. Customers aged 36 to 60 received 48% of all spam calls, while those aged 26 to 35 were the second-most targeted, receiving 26% of all spam calls. Only around 8% of spam calls were directed to older individuals.

"This groundbreaking initiative has firmly established Airtel as the first service provider in India to offer a comprehensive solution to the growing menace of spam, setting new industry standards for inclusive security measures that prioritise the privacy and convenience of its vast customer base," Airtel said in a statement on Monday.

The hourly distribution of spam activity has also been detailed in the company's report. Spam calls begin around 9 AM and progressively increase in volume throughout the day. The peak of spam activity occurs between noon and 3 PM, when the highest concentration of spam calls is recorded. Additionally, the number of spam calls varies significantly between weekdays and weekends. On Sundays, the number of these calls drops by about 40%. Notably, over 22% of all spam calls are directed to devices costing between 15,000 and 20,000 rupees.

Airtel also highlighted that its AI-driven system has demonstrated exceptional accuracy in real-time detection of these unwanted incursions.