MTS to launch digital assistant for combating phone fraudsters

MTS’s AI Assistant “Marvin” to Combat Suspicious Calls

MTS, a Russian telecommunications operator, has announced the launch of a digital assistant named “Marvin”. The artificial intelligence (AI) based assistant will alert users about suspicious calls in real-time, according to an MTS source cited by Vedomosti.

“Marvin” to Identify both Synthetic and Live Voices

As stated by MTS’ First Deputy Vice President Inessa Galaktionova, “Marvin” is designed to discern whether an inbound phone call uses a synthesized or live voice. The assistant would also flag potential fraudsters by analysing over 50 different metrics, utilizing artificial intelligence and Big Data technologies.

Alerts for Subscribers

If “Marvin” detects any suspicious activity on a call, the assistant will discreetly alert the user without the perpetrator hearing it. Notably, the system will operate without the need for an internet connection, as it locally analyses data on the user’s smartphone.

Plans for Expansion

Originally, the developers intended to incorporate “Marvin” into a “smart” speaker system. However, that wouldn’t embody the idea of “always being at hand”, so the decision was made to integrate the assistant directly into the smartphone. The feature will only be available on MTS subscribers’ phones.

MTS has plans to expand “Marvin”‘s functionality in the coming months. The digital assistant will soon be able to serve as a real-time translator and provide communication tips based on the analysis of the emotional state of interlocutors.