Daisy isn’t just a cute name; it’s the new name for O2’s AI-powered chatbot, which has been designed to waste scammers’ time.
Daisy uses a generative AI speech model to keep scammers locked into a conversation, preventing them from attempting to scam real people.
The new call defence platform is FREE and is being used by O2 to combat the growing number of Spam and Scam calls. If the system suspects that the number isn’t legitimate, it will warn users before they answer the phone.
According to O2, the feature was developed with Hiya, a voice security firm, and gives O2 users another layer of protection against fraudsters.
Call Defence can analyse a calling number’s behaviour in real-time against a risk benchmark. If the tool determines that a call could be a scam or spam, it will flag that on the user’s smartphone screen with the message “Suspected Scam”. They will then have the choice of whether to answer the call.
O2 said the new tool is being rolled out in stages. It will be activated automatically for users on Pay Monthly custom or SIM Only plans and O2 Business customers. Pay As You Go customers will receive a message when it’s available.
You don’t need to do anything to activate the free feature, although iPhone owners will need to make sure they are running iOS 18.
The tool is an O2 product, so it will not work on other call platforms like WhatsApp or Signal. It also won’t work if you are roaming abroad or connected to another network in the UK.
In July, EE launched Scam Guard, a subscription service that provides users with extra protection against fraud. Available for £1 a month, the plan included a similar spam and scam call labelling tool powered by Hiya.
More info here: https://ee.co.uk/security/scam-guard
There are other companies working on similar systems like Google’s AI-powered Scam detection feature or Microsoft’s Azure Operator Call Protection.
Let’s hope other suppliers continue to take the threat of scam calls seriously, with more than £1.2 Billion lost just last year.