Meet Daisy: the chatty, AI-generated grandma fighting phone fraud for O2’s customers

UK mobile operator O2 has unveiled an innovative approach to fighting phone fraud: an AI-powered digital grandmother who wastes scammers’ time with meandering conversations about knitting and family stories. Named Daisy, this “Head of Scammer Relations” combines various AI models to conduct real-time, human-like conversations with fraudsters, successfully keeping them on the line for up to 40 minutes at a time.

O2’s campaign arrives as new research reveals 67% of Brits are concerned about being targeted by fraud, with one in five experiencing attempted scams weekly — and not just older demographics. While 71% of people would like revenge against scammers who’ve targeted them or their loved ones, most are unwilling to waste their own time doing so. By deploying Daisy around the clock to answer suspicious calls, O2 is not only preventing scammers from reaching real victims but also gathering intelligence about their tactics to better protect customers.

The scam-baiting nana is part of O2’s broader “Swerve the Scammers” campaign, which includes spam-fighting tools and caller identification services. The company blocked 89 million fraudulent texts last year and intercepted over GBP 250 million in suspected fraudulent transactions. O2 is encouraging people to report suspicious calls and texts, giving them the satisfaction of knowing that an AI granny might well launch a counterattack.