The British mobile network O2 has unveiled an original solution to combat phone scammers. The “Daisy” bot, nicknamed the “AI granny,” mimics long, meaningless conversations to keep fraudsters on the line for as long as possible. Among the bot’s favorite topics are stories about family, hobbies, and even made-up banking details.
“Daisy” was created with the involvement of renowned “scambaiter” and programmer Jim Browning. It uses several AI models to analyze calls and respond to them in real time. O2 claims the bot can keep scammers on the line for up to 40 minutes, reducing the number of calls to real customers.
The launch of the “AI granny” is timed to coincide with International Fraud Awareness Week. To test the bot, the company deliberately added several of its own numbers to databases actively used by scammers.
Although “Daisy” is currently available only as part of O2’s initiative, the online audience’s reaction has been mostly positive. Commenters note that such a tool could significantly simplify life for people who regularly face phone scams.
