Americans could receive unsolicited political calls featuring artificial intelligence-generated voices before November’s midterm elections if the Federal Communications Commission approves a request to relax cellphone calling restrictions. The conservative advocacy group Club for Growth is seeking permission for noncommercial political calls using artificial or prerecorded voices, including AI-generated speech, without recipients’ prior express consent. The FCC has invited public comment on the request.
The rules have not changed. However, with reply comments due October 19, the proceeding could affect how political organizations reach voters before the November 3 election and whether voters must agree to receive those calls. A consent exemption would not automatically make voter intimidation or deceptive election messages lawful.
Critics nevertheless argue it could remove an important enforcement barrier. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez opposes the request: "We’ve already seen dark money groups use AI to put candidates' likeness behind inflammatory comments ahead of this election," Gomez said. "Exempting political calls from the need for consumer consent would supercharge that strategy, and misleading messages could land directly on the handheld phone of nearly every voter in our country." Club for Growth, on the other hand, presents it as a way to improve political communication.
"Our petition asks the FCC to treat First Amendment protected political speech the same way it already treats wireless calls about package deliveries, bank accounts, and doctor’s appointments," said the group’s president David McIntosh. "We think the Constitution protects a conversation with a voter at least as highly as a delivery update." Newsweek contacted the FCC by email for comment on the petition’s scope, potential decision timetable and safeguards. Newsweek also sought expert comment by email on the implications for voters.
Club for Growth says AI-powered calling could help political organizations communicate in more languages and gather voter feedback. It claims that political speech deserves treatment comparable to certain permitted automated calls about deliveries, banking and medical appointments, according to . For recipients, that could mean an artificial voice asking about political preferences or discussing campaign issues. reported that the group envisages a human initiating a call before an AI agent conducts an interview.
These could be interactive conversations, rather than simply recorded messages. Restrictions on artificial voices apply independently of whether a call uses an auto-dialer. In February 2024, the FCC ruled that AI-generated voices fall within the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s existing category of artificial voices.
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