---
title: "Answering machine detection"
description: "Answering machine detection (AMD) analyses the first seconds of an answered outbound call to decide whether a person or a voicemail system picked up, so the dialer can connect a live agent, start an automated flow or leave a pre-recorded voicemail."
canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/glossary/answering-machine-detection/"
language: "en"
updated: "2026-10-10"
publisher: "BroadNet Technologies"
brand: "OmniChannels.ai"
---

# Answering machine detection

Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/glossary/answering-machine-detection/
Language: en
Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies

**Definition:** Answering machine detection (AMD) analyses the first seconds of an answered outbound call to decide whether a person or a voicemail system picked up, so the dialer can connect a live agent, start an automated flow or leave a pre-recorded voicemail.

Traditional AMD listens to the audio pattern after answer: a short "hello" followed by silence suggests a person; a long continuous greeting suggests voicemail. Newer AI-based detection classifies the audio with trained models and can also spot the voicemail beep.

AMD is a trade-off between speed and accuracy. The longer the system listens, the more accurate it is, but a live person hears silence while it decides, which feels like a nuisance call and can lead to hang-ups. False positives (a person treated as a machine) lose real conversations; false negatives waste agent time on voicemails.

It matters most for predictive and progressive dialers, reminder campaigns and voicemail drop, where agents should only be connected to people. Tune the detection window per campaign and track the share of calls classified each way.

Several markets restrict abandoned or silent calls in outbound campaigns, so check local telemarketing rules (in the UAE, for example, telemarketing is regulated by TDRA) before running automated outbound calling.

OmniChannels.ai, through BroadNet's voice capability, offers AI answering-machine detection with predictive, progressive, power and preview dialers and voicemail drop.