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Phonic Specification

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Phonic

AI for Every Call.

Phonic is an open-source AI-powered call interception and communication intelligence platform designed to place an intelligent, privacy-first layer between the telephone network and its users.

Phonic intercepts incoming calls, evaluates callers in real time, identifies likely robocalls and unwanted communications, screens unknown callers, records and transcribes voicemail, maintains comprehensive call records, and intelligently routes communications according to user and household preferences.

The specification is designed around modular architecture so that core communication, screening, intelligence, privacy, and user-management capabilities can operate together while optional modules extend Phonic with additional AI models, communication channels, intelligence sources, and automation capabilities.

Specification Goals

Phonic is designed to:

  • Intercept incoming calls before they reach the intended user.
  • Determine whether a caller is human, automated, known, unknown, trusted, suspicious, or unwanted.
  • Block or route likely robocalls and other unwanted communications.
  • Allow an AI screener to interact with unknown callers before forwarding a call.
  • Capture and transcribe voicemail with high accuracy.
  • Maintain complete inbound and outbound communication records.
  • Provide explainable AI decisions and caller classifications.
  • Learn from user feedback and changing caller behavior.
  • Protect communication data through privacy-first architecture.
  • Support individuals, households, organizations, and future multi-user deployments.
  • Operate locally or through optional external services.
  • Remain extensible through optional plugin modules.
  • Provide a foundation for future autonomous call-handling agents.

Core Modules

Call Interception

The Call Interception module provides the primary communication boundary between the telephone network and Phonic.

Features include:

  • Intercept all supported incoming calls before they reach the user.
  • Accept calls for analysis before forwarding or rejecting them.
  • Support inbound and outbound call awareness.
  • Identify the intended recipient of incoming calls.
  • Apply routing rules before connecting a caller.
  • Support individual and household-level routing.
  • Preserve call metadata throughout the processing lifecycle.
  • Support telephony, SIP, VoIP, and carrier-connected environments.
  • Provide a consistent communication interface for downstream modules.

AI Call Routing

The AI Call Routing module determines how each communication should be handled.

Features include:

  • Evaluate caller identity, reputation, behavior, intent, and context.
  • Determine whether a call should be blocked, screened, forwarded, sent to voicemail, or handled by an AI agent.
  • Apply user-specific routing preferences.
  • Apply household-wide routing policies where enabled.
  • Prioritize trusted contacts and known callers.
  • Identify calls requiring immediate user attention.
  • Apply different routing policies based on caller classification.
  • Provide explanations for routing decisions.
  • Preserve decision metadata for auditing and review.

Robocall Detection

The Robocall Detection module identifies automated and potentially unwanted callers.

Features include:

  • Detect prerecorded audio.
  • Perform audio fingerprinting.
  • Identify repeated audio patterns.
  • Analyze response latency.
  • Analyze silence patterns.
  • Analyze speech cadence.
  • Detect scripted conversational behavior.
  • Detect repetitive call flows and loops.
  • Identify automated prompts and interactive voice response behavior.
  • Evaluate caller behavior across multiple calls.
  • Assign confidence levels to automated-call classifications.
  • Block high-confidence unwanted calls according to configured policies.

Caller Reputation

The Caller Reputation module maintains dynamic intelligence about telephone numbers and calling entities.

Features include:

  • Maintain local caller reputation scores.
  • Maintain global reputation intelligence where enabled.
  • Track historical call classifications.
  • Track user feedback.
  • Track repeated unwanted calling behavior.
  • Identify patterns across multiple callers and numbers.
  • Support local blocklists.
  • Support trusted caller lists.
  • Support shared household intelligence.
  • Support optional community spam intelligence.
  • Update reputation as new evidence becomes available.
  • Provide reputation context to the routing engine.

AI Call Screening

The AI Call Screening module provides conversational screening for unknown or untrusted callers.

Features include:

  • Answer unknown calls before the user.
  • Ask the caller to identify themselves.
  • Ask the caller to explain the purpose of the call.
  • Determine whether the caller appears to be a real person.
  • Identify the caller’s stated organization or purpose.
  • Detect scripted or automated responses.
  • Analyze conversational context.
  • Detect caller intent.
  • Evaluate urgency.
  • Evaluate sentiment and communication behavior.
  • Determine whether the call should be forwarded.
  • Provide the user with a screening summary before connection where appropriate.
  • Allow configurable screening behavior for individuals and households.

Call Intelligence

The Call Intelligence module analyzes conversations and communication patterns.

Features include:

  • Intent detection.
  • Context extraction.
  • Sentiment analysis.
  • Urgency analysis.
  • Caller classification.
  • Conversation summaries.
  • Key point extraction.
  • Identification of requested actions.
  • Identification of names, organizations, dates, times, and other relevant information.
  • AI-generated call notes.
  • Searchable communication intelligence.
  • Explainable classifications.
  • Model and confidence metadata.

Voicemail and Transcription

The Voicemail and Transcription module manages voicemail capture, transcription, and retrieval.

Features include:

  • Automatically receive voicemail when calls are not forwarded.
  • Record voicemail audio.
  • Convert voicemail audio into searchable text.
  • Pair recordings with their transcripts.
  • Preserve timestamps and caller information.
  • Generate voicemail summaries.
  • Identify urgency and important information.
  • Search transcripts by keyword.
  • Search by caller.
  • Search by classification.
  • Search by sentiment or urgency.
  • Export voicemail information.
  • Preserve original recordings for verification.

Call Records

The Call Records module maintains a complete history of communication activity.

Features include:

  • Record inbound calls.
  • Record outbound calls.
  • Record screened calls.
  • Record blocked calls.
  • Record voicemail events.
  • Store caller information.
  • Store timestamps.
  • Store call duration.
  • Store call classification.
  • Store routing decisions.
  • Store AI confidence information.
  • Store model information where applicable.
  • Associate calls with users and household members.
  • Provide searchable historical records.
  • Support JSON and CSV export.
  • Preserve an auditable history of communication decisions.

Notifications and Alerts

The Notifications and Alerts module provides real-time awareness of communication activity.

Features include:

  • Notify users of blocked calls.
  • Notify users of new voicemail.
  • Notify users of missed important calls.
  • Notify users of suspicious activity.
  • Notify users when a high-priority caller is identified.
  • Notify users when an AI screener requests attention.
  • Support real-time notification delivery.
  • Support configurable notification preferences.
  • Support individual and household notification policies.

User and Household Management

The User and Household Management module allows Phonic to operate as a multi-user communication platform.

Features include:

  • Support multiple users.
  • Assign individual phone numbers or communication endpoints.
  • Maintain individual screening preferences.
  • Maintain individual trusted contacts.
  • Maintain individual blocklists.
  • Share selected spam intelligence across household members.
  • Apply household-wide routing policies.
  • Identify the intended recipient of a call.
  • Route calls according to individual preferences.
  • Support shared communication intelligence.
  • Allow household administrators to configure shared policies.
  • Maintain user-specific privacy boundaries.

Learning and Personalization

The Learning and Personalization module adapts Phonic to user behavior and feedback.

Features include:

  • Learn from user classifications of calls.
  • Learn from spam and safe-call feedback.
  • Adjust caller reputation based on new evidence.
  • Personalize screening behavior.
  • Personalize routing decisions.
  • Learn trusted caller patterns.
  • Learn recurring unwanted caller patterns.
  • Allow users to correct AI classifications.
  • Maintain transparent feedback mechanisms.
  • Prevent personalization from silently overriding explicit user policies.

Privacy and Security

The Privacy and Security module establishes privacy protections throughout the communication lifecycle.

Features include:

  • Encrypt stored call recordings.
  • Encrypt stored voicemail.
  • Protect communication between system components.
  • Support end-to-end encryption where technically applicable.
  • Support local-first operation.
  • Support self-hosted deployment.
  • Minimize unnecessary transmission of communication data.
  • Allow sensitive processing to remain local where supported.
  • Provide configurable data retention policies.
  • Provide user-controlled deletion.
  • Preserve access controls between household members.
  • Maintain auditable access to sensitive communication data.
  • Provide transparency around external services and processing.

Explainability and Auditability

The Explainability and Auditability module makes automated decisions understandable and reviewable.

Features include:

  • Record why a call was classified.
  • Record routing reasons.
  • Record classification confidence.
  • Record applicable model information.
  • Record relevant behavioral signals.
  • Distinguish automated decisions from user decisions.
  • Allow users to review AI classifications.
  • Allow users to correct classifications.
  • Maintain decision histories.
  • Support auditing of communication handling.
  • Provide transparent explanations without exposing sensitive internal information unnecessarily.

Reporting and Spam Intelligence

The Reporting and Spam Intelligence module supports reporting of unwanted communications.

Features include:

  • Identify calls eligible for reporting.
  • Maintain evidence associated with reported communications.
  • Support automated reporting where appropriate and supported.
  • Support regulatory reporting integrations where available.
  • Support spam intelligence network integrations.
  • Allow users to review reporting decisions.
  • Preserve reporting history.
  • Avoid reporting communications without appropriate authorization or configuration.
  • Support regional reporting requirements through optional integrations.

User Interface and Communication Dashboard

The Communication Dashboard module provides a unified interface for managing Phonic.

Features include:

  • Display live call activity.
  • Display current call screening status.
  • Display blocked calls.
  • Display recent calls.
  • Display voicemail.
  • Display transcripts.
  • Display AI summaries.
  • Display caller reputation.
  • Display routing decisions.
  • Display alerts.
  • Search calls and voicemail.
  • Review AI decisions.
  • Correct classifications.
  • Manage trusted callers.
  • Manage blocklists.
  • Configure screening preferences.
  • Configure household policies.
  • Manage privacy and retention settings.
  • Export communication records.

Optional Plugin Modules

AI Model Plugins

AI Model Plugins allow Phonic to use different AI systems without changing the core communication architecture.

Capabilities may include:

  • Alternative language models.
  • Local AI models.
  • Cloud AI models.
  • Specialized call-screening models.
  • Caller classification models.
  • Intent detection models.
  • Sentiment models.
  • Urgency detection models.
  • Model-specific configuration.
  • Model fallback and failover.
  • Model version tracking.
  • Model performance comparison.

Speech Recognition Plugins

Speech Recognition Plugins provide interchangeable transcription engines.

Capabilities may include:

  • Local speech recognition.
  • Cloud speech recognition.
  • Real-time transcription.
  • Batch transcription.
  • Multi-language transcription.
  • Speaker identification.
  • Custom vocabulary support.
  • Domain-specific recognition.
  • Automatic language detection.

Voice AI Plugins

Voice AI Plugins provide conversational voice capabilities.

Capabilities may include:

  • Natural-language call interaction.
  • Real-time conversational responses.
  • Configurable AI voices.
  • Caller-specific conversation flows.
  • Voice-agent personalities.
  • Dynamic questioning.
  • Message collection.
  • Interactive call handling.

Telephony Plugins

Telephony Plugins extend compatibility with different communication systems.

Capabilities may include:

  • SIP integration.
  • VoIP integration.
  • PBX integration.
  • Carrier integration.
  • Hosted telephony services.
  • Mobile communication gateways.
  • Additional signaling protocols.
  • Number management.
  • Call forwarding and routing services.

Notification Plugins

Notification Plugins extend how users receive alerts.

Capabilities may include:

  • SMS notifications.
  • Email notifications.
  • Push notifications.
  • Desktop notifications.
  • Mobile notifications.
  • Web notifications.
  • Messaging service integrations.
  • Custom notification endpoints.

Spam Intelligence Plugins

Spam Intelligence Plugins connect Phonic to external or community-maintained intelligence sources.

Capabilities may include:

  • Community blocklists.
  • Shared reputation databases.
  • Regional spam databases.
  • Industry intelligence feeds.
  • User-contributed reports.
  • Distributed reputation systems.
  • Cross-instance intelligence sharing.

Regulatory Reporting Plugins

Regulatory Reporting Plugins provide optional connections to supported reporting systems.

Capabilities may include:

  • Regional reporting services.
  • Regulatory complaint submission.
  • Spam reporting networks.
  • Evidence packaging.
  • Reporting status tracking.
  • User approval workflows.
  • Jurisdiction-specific reporting rules.

Voice Assistant Plugins

Voice Assistant Plugins extend Phonic beyond call screening.

Capabilities may include:

  • Voice-controlled configuration.
  • Spoken caller summaries.
  • Spoken voicemail summaries.
  • Voice-based call searches.
  • Voice-based call routing commands.
  • Hands-free communication management.

Automation Plugins

Automation Plugins allow Phonic to trigger user-defined actions.

Capabilities may include:

  • Calendar integration.
  • Appointment scheduling.
  • Task creation.
  • Contact management.
  • Message generation.
  • Workflow triggers.
  • Conditional call handling.
  • External service actions.

Future AI Call Agent

The Future AI Call Agent module provides a foundation for fully interactive call handling.

Capabilities may include:

  • Answer calls on behalf of users.
  • Hold conversations with callers.
  • Schedule appointments.
  • Take detailed messages.
  • Answer predefined questions.
  • Collect information.
  • Transfer calls to users.
  • Escalate urgent communications.
  • Complete approved tasks.
  • Maintain conversation context.
  • Provide complete summaries after autonomous interactions.
  • Require user approval for consequential actions.

Extensibility

Phonic is designed to allow new communication, intelligence, and automation capabilities to be added without replacing the core system.

The architecture should support:

  • Pluggable AI models.
  • Pluggable speech recognition.
  • Pluggable telephony providers.
  • Pluggable notification systems.
  • Pluggable reputation sources.
  • Pluggable reporting systems.
  • Pluggable automation services.
  • Local and remote processing.
  • User-specific extensions.
  • Household-specific extensions.
  • Regional extensions.
  • Future communication protocols.
  • Future AI capabilities.

Plugins should expose clearly defined interfaces, maintain isolation from unrelated components, and allow users to select which external services or processing systems they trust.

Local-First Operation

Phonic should support operation without mandatory dependence on external cloud services.

Local-first capabilities should include:

  • Local call processing where supported.
  • Local speech recognition where supported.
  • Local AI inference where supported.
  • Local caller reputation.
  • Local storage.
  • Local transcription.
  • Local search.
  • Local notification management.
  • Local configuration.
  • Optional external services rather than mandatory dependencies.

Cloud services may be used when explicitly selected by the deployment or user.

Multi-User and Household Operation

Phonic should support communication protection across multiple users sharing a communication environment.

The household model should provide:

  • Shared call interception.
  • Individual user profiles.
  • Individual routing policies.
  • Individual trusted contacts.
  • Shared spam intelligence.
  • Household blocklists.
  • Household-level screening policies.
  • Recipient-aware routing.
  • Shared notification policies.
  • Privacy boundaries between household members.
  • Administrative controls for shared settings.

The system should allow household-wide protection without requiring every user to independently maintain the same spam intelligence.

Future Global Communication Intelligence

Phonic may evolve into a distributed communication intelligence network where participating installations can contribute anonymized or privacy-preserving intelligence about unwanted callers.

Potential capabilities include:

  • Distributed caller reputation.
  • Shared robocall signatures.
  • Community-maintained intelligence.
  • Privacy-preserving reputation exchange.
  • Cross-instance threat intelligence.
  • Decentralized spam intelligence.
  • Regional communication intelligence.
  • Global detection of emerging robocall patterns.

Participation in shared intelligence systems should remain optional and subject to explicit privacy controls.

Specification Branding License (SBL)

Standard

Optional

License & Notice Requirements

Phonic is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).
By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will also be released under this license.

Please note the following:

  • All contributions must comply with the AGPL-3.0+ terms.
  • Under Section 7 of the license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works must preserve attribution to:
    Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.
  • Phonic specifications are free to use with attribution. A Specification Branding License can be negotiated upon request.
  • The project’s notice.md file tracks attribution requirements and contributor acknowledgments.
    Any update that adds new contributors or modifies attribution should also update notice.md.
  • When submitting a pull request, ensure that any new files maintain the attribution headers where applicable.
  • Network-deployed versions of this software must also remain fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant, including exposure of source code modifications when applicable under the license.

For full legal details, please refer to the AGPL-3.0+ license and the project’s notice.md file.

Notice – Phonic

Attribution Requirement: Under Section 7 of the AGPL 3.0+ license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works, including network-deployed versions of this project, must provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.

Contributors

This file tracks contributors and their specific contributions to the project.

  • Roxanne Ardary, roxanneardary.com – April 12, 2026
    Created the repository for Phonic. Designed and initiated the open-source AI call interception system architecture, including robocall detection, voicemail transcription, and call logging framework.
  • [Add other contributors here] – [Date]
    [Describe contribution in one sentence]

License – Phonic

This repository is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).

Key Points:

  • You are free to use, modify, and distribute the code.
  • All redistributions, forks, and derivative works or network-deployed versions must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0+ and provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com as required under Section 7 of the license.
  • The software is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind.

For the full license text, see GNU AGPL-3.0 License.

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