I've gone back to just calling people on the phone like a true savage.

Unfortunately that's not enough, voice AI is very good nowadays,

If someone puts me on with a voice AI i'm never talking to them again lol.

I put spam robocallers / scammers on the phone with voice AI all the time, after navigating their IVR and intentionally requesting to speak to a human scam-agent. This in no way deters them calling.

The fact that you answered and engaged means you’re more likely to get called again.

I think you're right about that.

...which might be exactly what they wanted in the first place.

if you receive an AI call, grab a pen and click it just before every word, be sure to delay cadence between words, to give the impression a mouse is being moved toward the next word to "click" on.

Weirdly, and MAYBE tangentially related to AI, me too.

I've been driving my friends nuts cuz we're all neurodivergent little goblin people and now I just call them. And they aren't actually mad they're just like "what's wrong with you" and it's just like, look, sometimes I just need a fuckin answer to a fuckin question, and faster is better. And phone calls are instant.

I think they're coming around now cuz two of em do it to me.

Aw. A little goblin network.

I never stopped.

Relax, it's niche internet points, you'll be fine lol