In a bold move to combat the growing menace of phone scams, British mobile phone company O2 has introduced “Daisy,” an artificial intelligence-powered persona designed to protect potential victims by turning the tables on scammers. Daisy, affectionately referred to as the “AI Granny,” is a witty, cat-loving chatbot who engages scammers in long, time-consuming conversations, rendering them incapable of targeting actual people.
Daisy’s modus operandi is simple yet effective: criminals call her, expecting to find an easy mark, but instead meet a talkative grandmother who is anything but cooperative. Known for her love of a fictional cat named Fluffy and her knack for sidestepping instructions, Daisy is capable of frustrating scammers to the point of quitting. In one encounter, a scammer, after tirelessly trying to scam Daisy for nearly an hour, exclaimed in frustration, “For the love of [bleep]!” Meanwhile, Daisy cheekily reminded the caller, “While they’re busy talking to me, they can’t be scamming you. And let’s face it, dear, I’ve got all the time in the world”.
The technology behind Daisy leverages a combination of chatbot AI and the insider expertise of YouTuber and software engineer Jim Browning, who is renowned for exposing scams to his online audience of over 4.4 million followers. By employing a method called “number seeding,” O2 ensures Daisy’s phone number is added to the lists that scammers frequently use to contact potential victims. Once they call Daisy, the scammers are lured into a conversational trap that wastes significant amounts of their time. On average, the AI can keep scammers tied up in a call for up to 40 minutes—a valuable interval during which real people remain out of harm’s way.
The initiative is part of O2’s broader commitment to combatting fraud. According to Murray Mackenzie, the company’s director of fraud, O2 is investing in a variety of tools and technologies, including AI-powered spam call detection and firewall systems, to enhance customer safety. Daisy, however, is not just a defensive mechanism. She also serves as a reminder for everyone to remain vigilant, as even the most persuasive callers might not be who they claim to be .
Beyond its immediate goal of frustrating scammers, Daisy’s charm and relatable persona highlight the potential of AI as a tool for public education. The program emphasizes the importance of skepticism, encouraging individuals to question unsolicited calls and think twice before sharing personal or financial information. Its innovative approach also sheds light on the critical role that creative AI solutions can play in addressing modern security challenges in increasingly digital environments.
Ultimately, Daisy’s success could inspire other companies to implement imaginative strategies in the battle against phone scams. While there’s more work to be done in tackling fraudulent behavior worldwide, Daisy—a grandma with boundless patience and a love for her imaginary cat—stands out as proof that technology can be as clever, and sometimes as playful, as its human creators.
Daisy has transformed from a mere AI experiment into the newest weapon in protecting people from fraud—a fitting reminder that the future of cybersecurity is as much about wit and strategy as it is about innovation.
