U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced new legislation called the Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive Electronic Telecommunications (QUIET) Act. The bill aims to require that robocalls notify consumers when artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in calls or messages.
Curtis stated, “The innovation that comes with using artificial intelligence has the potential to bring incredible amounts of good to our lives, with the understanding that bad actors will and can take advantage of that. Almost all Americans have been affected by scams through robocalls and we must work to ensure that with new technology, we have new safeguards.”
Blumenthal added, “Our bipartisan measure helps protect consumers from bad actors who use AI to scam Americans out of their hard-earned money. Criminals are increasingly using AI in robocalls and text messages to trick consumers—stealing billions of dollars from their victims each year. Strong safeguards like those in our QUIET Act are necessary to crack down on fraudsters and give Americans the peace of mind they deserve.”
Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at AARP, commented on the impact for older adults: “Older adults should be able to answer the phone without fear of being scammed. But nearly half say they get scam calls almost every day, draining billions of dollars from people who can least afford it. The QUIET Act will crack down on criminals using AI to trick and defraud, giving older Americans stronger protections and greater peace of mind.”
Criminals continue to use robocalls and fraudulent text messages as a method for stealing large sums from Americans each year, disproportionately affecting older adults. In 2024 alone, U.S. consumers received about 53 billion robocalls—averaging roughly 200 per adult. A 2025 survey by AARP found that 95% of adults aged 50 or older had received scam or illegal robocalls within the past year, with two out of five reporting these calls occur daily or almost daily.
