A programmer is planning to unleash a host of army bots equipped with pre-recorded conversations to keep Windows Support scammers from tricking people especially the non-tech savvy ones. The bot technology is getting a lot of hype as the power that drives it, Artificial Intelligence is getting more sophisticated thanks to Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.

More than a week ago, developer Roger Anderson has received a pop-up message on his computer. It says that his computer has been infected with a malware and then asked to call a specific number. The number was traced to a call center purportedly the Microsoft Technical Department.

Anderson discovered that the said department is not affiliated in any way with Microsoft. He retaliates by placing more than 300 botnet calls to the scammers' number, which was eventually disconnected.

The developer now plans to unleash a host of army bots with pre-recorded messages to annoy and harass Windows Support scammers. Anderson plans to launch the "Broadside" campaign alluding to a pirate ship turning broadside to fire all cannons on enemy ships according to ZDNet.

Anderson is more likely to do more than just frustrate these callers, but he is hesitant to disclose them as of now. In an email to OnTheWire, he admits that his anti-scam bot program may be used to spread malice and mischief, which is why Microsoft or Apple is not doing it. It will have to take a pirate like him to do that.

Anderson is also responsible for the Jolly Roger bot, which was originally intended to intercept scams by engaging the scammers in a never-ending loop of conversation. To avoid detection, these bots include realistic responses like "hello?" or "hmm?" and even a woman arguing with her children while on the line.

The evident frustration of these scammers may only be a fraction of the justice due to the hapless victims, but it has started Anderson's self-proclaimed war on Windows Support scam and fake IRS. These scams have been an ongoing profitable business for years now.

Bots have an added purpose other than doing the usual mundane tasks like making dinner reservations or adding appointments. Chatbots are becoming a trending model for software with developers integrating them into various apps, Recode reported. This is now possible because AI, which powers bots, is becoming more sophisticated thanks to the interest shown by tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.

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Topics AI