Michigan Lawmakers Proposed Penalties for AI Robocalls

The proposed legislation seeks to curb millions of annual spam calls by imposing a $500 fine per illegal AI-generated instance.

Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a landline phone handset resting on a geometric network structure, representing legislative action against AI robocalls.
Michigan representatives have introduced House Bills 6393-94, which would impose a $500 fine for each AI-generated robocall to address widespread consumer spam. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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State representatives introduced House Bills 6393-94 to combat AI-generated robocalls, which have contributed to nearly 1 billion spam calls in Michigan this year. The legislation remains in the research and proposal stage as it moves through the state legislature.

Why it matters

Lawmakers aim to protect consumer privacy and mitigate predatory communication by filling gaps in existing federal regulations. The initiative seeks to establish a state-level enforcement mechanism to track and penalize unwanted AI-generated outreach.

The legislation proposes a $500 fine per illegal AI-generated call, a mandate designed to create a direct financial penalty for violations. The effectiveness of this threshold compared to existing federal prohibitions remains under evaluation as the bill moves through committee.

The players

Joseph Aragona

Michigan State Representative who sponsored legislation to penalize automated AI-generated calls.

Riley Linting

Michigan State Representative who co-sponsored the bills to regulate artificial intelligence in telephony.

The details

The bills, introduced as House Bills 6393-94, empower the attorney general's office to aggregate and process spam call complaints. The attorney general would then provide annual reports to the legislature to monitor the frequency of these calls. The proposed rules apply to callers with a nexus within Michigan or the United States, targeting systems that use artificial intelligence to mask the source or intent of the communication.

Timeline

  1. 2026: Michigan residents received 964.2 million spam calls.

  2. September 25, 2026: Bills were introduced in the state legislature.

The Tech Race

This legislation builds upon the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act by establishing explicit state-level penalties for AI-automated outreach. It marks a departure from reliance on federal enforcement by creating a dedicated process for tracking complaints at the Michigan attorney general's office.

If passed, the legislation will allow residents to report AI-generated robocalls to the state attorney general's office, creating a formal channel for tracking these offenses. The current proposal provides for a $500 fine per call, though this amount is subject to potential change before the bill is enacted.

The takeaway

The move signals a growing shift toward state-level regulatory oversight of automated telephony tools. Residents should monitor the Committee on Regulatory Reform for updates on whether the $500 fine threshold is adjusted before the current session concludes.

What happens next

Lawmakers intend to advance the legislation through the Committee on Regulatory Reform before the end of the current legislative session.

Further reading

For broader context on how state policies are evolving alongside new software, visit Artificial Intelligence.

Source note: This article includes information reported by WWMT.

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Do you support increasing state fines for entities that place AI-generated spam calls?