The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, a decision that sends a clear message that exploiting the technology to scam people and mislead voters won’t be tolerated.

The unanimous ruling targets robocalls made with AI voice-cloning tools under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a 1991 law restricting junk calls that use artificial and prerecorded voice messages.

The announcement comes as New Hampshire authorities are advancing their investigation into AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice to discourage people from voting in the state’s first-in-the-nation primary last month.

Effective immediately, the regulation empowers the FCC to fine companies that use AI voices in their calls or block the service providers that carry them. It also opens the door for call recipients to file lawsuits and gives state attorneys general a new mechanism to crack down on violators, according to the FCC.

US initial jobless claims fall

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell for the first time in three weeks, suggesting employers are still largely holding on to their workers.

Initial claims decreased by 9,000 to 218,000 in the week ended Feb. 3, according to Labor Department data out Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 220,000.

The labor market has proved surprisingly robust in recent months, powering consumer spending. But recent high-profile job-cut announcements from companies including United Parcel Service Inc. and across the tech industry may signal slower demand for workers in the coming months.