AI Granny is outsmarting scammers and addressing 3 technology worries

AI and all emerging technologies are weighed for pros and cons. Artificial Intelligence is often dubbed a double-edged sword for its potential risks while kickstarting innovation.

In the latest, O2, a UK telecom giant, has launched “AI Daisy” to fight scammers that impersonate a sweet, chatty granny. Developed with the help of YouTuber Jim Browning, is AI giving a countermeasure to its own risks?

Who is AI Daisy?

AI has been the theme in 2024 but concerns about it taking over jobs, outsmarting existing software, and creating privacy and ethical issues are also being debated. However, a UK-based telecommunications company called O2 has taken the debate in its stride with a new campaign.

O2 has introduced “AI Daisy” under the “Swerve the Scammers” campaign to waste scammers’ time. If scammers are busy talking to the AI granny, where will there be time to scam real people? Daisy’s job seems to be to engage scammers in long, pointless conversations, keeping them occupied. She underlines, “Let’s face it, dear, I’ve got all the time in the world.” The company has also been encouraging people to report scam numbers to help Daisy identify more scammers.

In the ad, Daisy also states, “Hello, scammers. I’m your worst nightmare.”

Hell hath no fury like an AI Granny scammed. Watch Daisy waste scammers’ time so they can’t scam you.

👉Report fraudulent calls and texts to 7726 pic.twitter.com/hkNMDqG87b

— O2 (@O2) November 15, 2024

Jim Browning, often known for exposing scammers on his YouTube channel, was also involved in training AI Daisy. In a conversation with Sky News, he explains that the AI was trained using real recordings of scam calls, many of which come from his YouTube videos. Browning also revealed that he spent years recording and learning from scammers to understand their techniques. According to the virtual vigilante, Daisy makes scammers waste their time and resources, potentially making scamming less profitable.

AI is a double-edged sword

Emerging technology is coming to people’s rescue when a part of it is making scamming simpler. As per a report by Truecaller, scammers impacted 56.2 million US adults in 2023 alone. On average, 1 in 4 people reportedly lost $452. The report also finds that senior citizens are targeted frequently when compared to young adults but the latter are at a higher risk of being scammed.

Influencer Amy Hart, who has worked in the AI Daisy commercial, said, “I know first-hand just how sophisticated nasty fraudsters can be,” Meanwhile, Shelly Palmer, CEO of employment agency Palmer Group, wishes he had thought of the idea. Despite being excited about the idea, the executive warned that voice cloning is a risky technology because scammers could use it to impersonate people. He suggests families use a “safe word or phrase” to verify identities over calls that make unusual requests.

Based on reports, AI voice cloning and deepfake technology are next to real when it comes to impersonating real people. Sift’s safety team revealed in a blog that AI analyzes data to identify potential victims and their vulnerabilities. Once they have a target, scammers manipulate using emotional triggers and stories to loot funds. O2’s Daisy is a countermeasure to using AI to scam people. As a result, AI Granny Daisy is not just outsmarting scammers, she has tackled 3 major tech concerns.

First, AI voice cloning raises privacy risks as scammers can now impersonate real people. Daisy manages to flips the script. Second, critics have questioned the ethical implications of AI in a society. The campaign has a positive purpose and explains the need for responsible AI use. Lastly, AI’s impact on human jobs tops every conversation. In 2024, AI Daisy is handling a task that once required human intervention. While AI has reduced human interaction in customer service, several analysts still call it an overestimation.

That said, AI Virgin Media O2 says it has “invested heavily” to fight fraud as Daisy has reportedly managed to keep dodgy callers occupied for 40 minutes at once.