The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) organized the AI Gamechangers Award as part of the Annual GPAI Summit. The startups showcased state-of-the-art progress in the development of safe and secure AI. 

At the GPAI Summit 2023, the researchers presented the Naam project. Naam is an innovative AI-driven Caller ID app designed to help users identify unknown calls and spammers without syncing their contact lists. Unlike other caller ID solutions, Naam does not collect user data such as phone contacts and SMS for caller identification. Instead, it relies on public data and advanced AI technology to provide accurate caller identification while maintaining user privacy.

Features

Naam leverages cutting-edge AI solutions to transform data from various public sources, empowering users to make informed decisions about their communications. The app's primary mission is to create a safe, secure, and reliable communication environment. Naam offers a range of advanced features, including call blocking, spam detection, and scam identification, giving users greater control over their communication experiences.

Problem Impact

Spam and scam calls are significant issues in India. According to a TRAI report, over 60% of Indians receive three or more spam calls daily. This problem is escalating with the country's increasing digitalization and smartphone penetration. Existing solutions have yet to be effective in addressing these challenges.

Naam aims to solve the following problems:

• Spam: Two of three people in India receive daily spam and scam calls.
• Scams: Protection against identity theft scams.
• Deepfake Fraud: Alerting users about their lost identity over the internet.
• User Data Breach and Privacy Concerns: Ensuring user privacy by not syncing contacts and SMS data.

Naam sets itself apart from existing caller ID apps through several key differentiators:

• No User Feedback Dependency: Naam does not rely on user feedback for spam detection, a limitation in current solutions. These solutions often experience delays in identifying spammers and may need more information about the spammer.
• Reinforcement Learning: The app uses reinforcement learning and analyzes user behaviour to identify spammers, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 82%.
• Localized Understanding: Naam is the only Indian app available in nine languages (English, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi). It employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) to enable users to interact with the app in their preferred language.
• Data Privacy: Naam prioritizes user privacy and data security by not syncing users' contacts and SMS, unlike other caller ID apps that rely on such data.

Features

Naam offers a suite of advanced features designed to enhance user communication safety:

• Spam Detection and Call Blocking
• Scam Identification
• Protection from Identity Theft
• Caller ID Identification
• AI Contact Search Engine
• Vernacular Language Support (in nine major Indian languages)

Impact Created

Naam addresses critical issues of spam and scam calls, identity theft, and user data privacy with its unique AI-driven approach and commitment to data security. By offering localized support and advanced features, Naam empowers users to take control of their communication experiences without compromising their privacy.

Research team

• Arpit Tak (Co-Founder & CEO),
• Ramesh Choudhary (Co-Founder)

Source: Naam