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US agency considers allowing new AI political robocalls before election

By Thomson Reuters Oct 7, 2026 | 10:07 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – A Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission urged the ​agency on Wednesday not ‌to approve a petition to allow political AI-generated robocalls from conservative political group Club for Growth.

The group, ‌which ​is spending millions ⁠of dollars ahead ⁠of the November US congressional elections, asked the FCC to allow it to make political ​calls to cell phones “using an artificial or prerecorded ⁠voice – including an ⁠AI-generated voice – without obtaining ​prior express consent.”

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez ​said that if “the FCC allows ‌a dark money group to flood Americans’ phones with AI-generated robocalls they never agreed ⁠to receive, it would bring chaos so close to Election Day.”

Club for Growth ⁠President ‌David McIntosh said ⁠the group wants “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.”

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by ​Mark Porter)