Airtel upgrades AI tool to block spam calls, adds regional language support: Here's how it works

On Monday, Bharti Airtel announced a major upgrade to its network-based artificial intelligence (AI) tool aimed at identifying and blocking spam calls and messages.

The AI-powered system, which was first introduced in September 2024, now offers alerts for spam communication originating from international numbers, alongside domestic ones.

Additionally, the tool will now support alerts in ten Indian regional languages, marking a major move towards enhanced accessibility.

The telecom giant’s AI spam detection tool functions in real-time, identifying suspicious calls and SMSes and sending users immediate notifications. This helps subscribers make informed decisions before engaging with potentially harmful or fraudulent contacts.

In a press release, Airtel said alerts will now be available in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu, in addition to English. Currently, this regional language support is only available for Android users. The company has not confirmed when, or if, the feature will be extended to iPhone users.

Airtel highlighted that this AI solution is free for all customers with a valid Airtel connection and requires no manual activation, as it is automatically enabled. The system relies on a proprietary algorithm developed in-house, which evaluates various factors such as the caller’s behaviour, message frequency, and call durations to detect spam activity.

Since its initial rollout, the AI tool has reportedly flagged and notified users about over 27.5 billion spam calls, underlining the scale of unwanted communication in India’s telecom network. The operator also indicated that support for more languages will be added in future updates.

With the addition of regional language support and improved detection of international numbers, Airtel’s AI-powered tool is geared towards providing a more secure and user-friendly mobile experience for its broad and varied customer base.

Meanwhile, Airtel has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to introduce high-speed satellite internet service, Starlink, in India.

In a stock exchange filing with the BSE on Tuesday, 11 March, Bharti Airtel stated that Starlink will offer its services in the country and will also explore opportunities to collaborate with Airtel’s existing telecom infrastructure.