Russia Wants Robocalls to Sound Like Robots—Not Like Humans
Lawmakers are proposing new rules that would ban human-sounding AI voices in mass phone calls, aiming to curb fraud and make automated calls instantly recognizable.
Russian lawmakers are drafting amendments to the country’s law On Communications that would prohibit the use of AI-generated voices designed to imitate natural human speech during mass phone calls. The initiative is intended to protect citizens from phone scams that increasingly rely on realistic voice synthesis.
According to the proposal, modern AI systems can already produce voices that are nearly indistinguishable from real people. Fraudsters actively exploit this capability, leaving call recipients unsure whether they are speaking to a human or an algorithm. Lawmakers warn that such technologies could eventually be used to convincingly fake the voices of relatives or acquaintances—posing a particular risk to elderly people.
Let Robots Sound Like Robots
The draft legislation introduces a straightforward rule: if a call is made by an automated system, it must sound like one. Human-like intonation, timbre, and emotional coloring would be banned for AI voices used in mass calling campaigns. The restrictions would apply specifically to large-scale automated outreach, not to individual or human-initiated calls.
A Long Legislative Road Ahead
No timeline has yet been announced for when the bill will be formally introduced or reviewed. The proposal would need to pass three readings in the State Duma, followed by approval from the Federation Council and the president’s signature. How quickly the process might move remains unclear.
In the meantime, telecom operators and users continue to rely on anti-fraud systems, call filters, and automated warnings to combat scam calls. Supporters of the proposed ban argue that clearly robotic voices could become an additional layer of defense—making deception harder, reducing unwanted advertising, and helping people immediately recognize when a call is generated by AI in an era of rapidly advancing voice technology.
