QUIET Act
The QUIET Act would amend the Communications Act to curb AI-enabled robocalls and strengthen penalties for AI-driven impersonation. Specifically, it requires robocalls and certain text messages that use artificial intelligence to emulate a human to disclose at the start of the call or message that AI is being used. The bill also creates enhanced penalties when AI is used to impersonate someone with intent to defraud, harm, or wrongfully obtain value, effectively doubling both civil and criminal penalties for such misuse. The act applies to violations occurring after enactment and carries a short title, the QUIET Act, to reflect its goal of reducing unwanted and interruptive electronic communications. In short, the bill tries to make AI-based robocalls more transparent to recipients and increases the consequences for criminals who use AI to impersonate others in order to commit fraud or harm.
Key Points
- 1Short title: The act is named the Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive Electronic Telecommunications Act (QUIET Act).
- 2Disclosure for AI robocalls: If a robocall uses artificial intelligence to imitate a human, the caller must disclose at the beginning that AI is being used.
- 3Definitions expanded: The bill provides explicit definitions for robocalls and text messages, including the scope of what counts as a robocall (e.g., calls/texts to stored numbers or generated numbers, including AI-generated messages) and what counts as a text message (SMS, MMS, RCS, etc.), while excluding real-time two-way voice or video communications.
- 4Enhanced penalties for AI impersonation: When AI is used to impersonate someone with intent to defraud, harm, or wrongfully obtain value, penalties can be doubled relative to the existing maximums for civil forfeitures and criminal fines.
- 5Applicability: The enhanced provisions apply to violations occurring after the date of enactment.