--- title: "Finally, a Good Use for AI: Wasting Scam Callers’ Time Forever" description: "Consultant Roger Anderson has created a voice, powered by OpenAI's GPT-4, that can waste and frustrate telemarketers and scammers." date: "2023-07-01" modified: "2023-07-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-wasting-scam-callers-time-forever" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "OpenAI" - "scams" - "the digest" --- # Finally, a Good Use for AI: Wasting Scam Callers’ Time Forever ![Consultant Roger Anderson has created a voice, powered by OpenAI's GPT-4, that can waste and frustrate telemarketers and scammers.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Flipping the Script Artificial intelligence can do a lot of things. It can [make hairdresser appointments](), on your behalf or even [write hustle bro posts]() for you on LinkedIn. It can even be used over the phone to [trick people into believing]() their relative has been kidnapped. But fortunately, tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT can also be used for *actual* good as well — by turning them against scammers and annoying telemarketers. As [*The Wall Street Journal* reports](), consultant and tinkerer Roger Anderson has been fighting telemarketers for almost a decade. His latest tool in his arsenal is a convincing-sounding voice powered by OpenAI's GPT-4 that can waste and frustrate telemarketers and scammers by roping them into a painfully drawn-out and ultimately pointless conversation. "I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name," Whitebeard, the name of Anderson's tool, told a scammer who was posing as a Bank of America called, according to the *WSJ*. "What’s your name, buddy?" ## Jolly Roger It's a genius response to a huge problem. One Federal Communications Commission spokesman told the *WSJ* that unwanted telephone calls are "far-and-away the largest category of consumer complaints to the FCC." Despite the FCC's best efforts, such as [requiring caller ID authentication]() and creating a national database of blocked numbers, millions of unwanted calls slip through the cracks, often from overseas call centers using internet calling. Anderson has rolled out his call-deflection system called Jolly Roger and has amassed several thousand paying customers, according to the *WSJ*. Best yet, Anderson programmed Whitebeard to use the real-life voices of his friends, including Sid Berkson, a Vermont dairy farmer. Some other voices customers can choose from include Salty Sally, an overwhelmed mother, and Whiskey Jack, who can be easily distracted. And clearly, the voices are doing a great job of wasting scammers' and telemarketers' time. One conversation shared by Anderson went on for an excruciating 15 minutes before the scammer finally hung up. **More on AI calls:** *[Cursed New AI Calls Debtors to Hassle Them for Money]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()