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Customer service workers, rejoice: LG U+ introduces AI service to stop abusive phone calls

Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 18:25 Updated: 14 Oct. 2025, 19:05

Image of a customer service worker speaking to an angry man. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

No more enduring abusive phone calls from customers or parents — LG U+ has launched an AI service that detects and blocks verbal abuse in real time during calls.

The telecom company announced Monday that it has introduced an AI-powered profanity detection feature to its business call solution AI BizCall by ixi. The mobile app allows users such as teachers, public officials and customer service representatives to make work-related calls using a company phone number on their smartphone.

The new feature detects inappropriate language — including insults, profanity and harassment — in real time during calls and notifies the user with a vibration alert. If the user presses a report button, the AI system immediately ends the call and notifies a designated company administrator of the incident. LG U+ said the feature was designed to reduce psychological stress caused by repeated complaint calls and to foster a safer call environment.

This is the first time the company has applied its on-device AI technology, ixi, directly to a smartphone app. Previously, users had to wait until after a call to transcribe and review the conversation using speech-to-text technology. Now, the AI can react and intervene during the call itself. All call recordings are stored only on the user’s device, ensuring no data is leaked externally.

LG U+ introduced an AI-powered profanity detection feature to its business call solution AI BizCall by ixi. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

In a demonstration, when a caller on the opposite line said, “What kind of [expletive] is that?” the app triggered a vibration and displayed a message reading: “AI has detected abusive language. Would you like to report this call?”

When the user tapped the report button, the call ended automatically, and a notice was sent to the administrator. The caller then heard a message stating, “This call has been automatically terminated by AI due to the detection of strong language that may cause discomfort.”

To enhance detection accuracy, LG U+ trained the AI on more than 770,000 examples of abusive and sexually harassing language sourced from its own customer service center and call data from schools, public offices and general businesses.

“The system doesn’t just rely on keywords — it understands context to detect abuse,” Kim Ji-hong, product owner of the company’s Communication DX Squad division, said.

The service is expected to improve working conditions for employees at schools, public agencies, hospitals and other institutions that regularly handle civil complaints over the phone. LG U+ said the feature reduces unnecessary stress for workers while improving both job satisfaction and customer response quality for employers.

The company plans to expand the app’s AI capabilities to support other workplace tasks, such as messaging and in-person meetings, effectively turning the service into a smart assistant. It also plans to introduce a blacklist feature that will automatically block frequent offenders.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [[email protected]]