FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, Feb. 16, 2024

Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878

PIERRE, SD — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is praising the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s decision to ban Artificial Intelligence-generated robocalls.

The FCC decision, announced last week, makes illegal the voice cloning technology used in common robocall scams that target consumers. The decision is part of an adoption of a Declaratory Ruling that recognizes calls made with AI-generated voices are considered artificial under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. That ruling gives State Attorneys General additional support to prosecute those involved in the robocalls.

Attorney General Jackley was one of 26 State Attorneys General who requested in January that the FCC restrict the use of AI by telemarketers. Attorney General Jackley also is part of the nationwide Attorneys General Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force that recently wrote to a company which allegedly sent New Hampshire residents scam election robocalls, with the use of AI, during the New Hampshire primary election.

“AI technology is being used in robocalls to confuse and misinform the public, and this action will better protect consumers in South Dakota,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I want to thank the FCC for making AI robocalls illegal and giving our office the ability to go after those bad actors as we work to protect the citizens of South Dakota.”

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