AI Call Screening Slashes Response Rates for Mountain State Poll

MSU Billings Students Face Automated Call Barriers During Mountain State Poll

During the fall 2026 semester, student researchers conducting the annual Mountain State Poll encountered severe disruptions as automated call screening and spam-blocking technology drastically cut down their ability to reach residents by phone. The rise of these digital filters means everyday households are far less likely to pick up for legitimate research efforts.

For the 39-year-old Mountain State Poll managed by Montana State University Billings, the impact has been immediate and stark. Students averaged just one completed survey per hour this year, dropping performance to half of the historical average for the project.

The Disappearing Telephone Response Rate

Current participation figures show that approximately one in 10 people now answer calls carrying spam warnings. This trend continues a decades-long decline in telephone survey engagement documented across the research industry. Gallup and Pew recorded high telephone response rates back in 1997, but those numbers tumbled to 7 percent for Gallup by 2017, and further down to 6 percent for the Pew Research Center by 2018.

AI Call Screening Is Making Political Polling Harder — MSUB Students Are Seeing It Firsthand

Dr. Hope Dewell Gentry, a researcher overseeing the transition at MSU Billings, is steering the institution toward alternative survey methods to preserve the scientific validity of the academic polling. Because modern AI systems now act as hard barriers between callers and recipients, and call-blocking software frequently mislabels academic work as spam, organizers are pivoting rapidly toward online and mail-based survey strategies.

Adapting Public Opinion Research for Digital Audiences

Local households in Billings may find it easier to dodge unwanted solicitations, but that same shielding tech means they are far less likely to be reached for community-based research or public opinion tracking. Residents should expect important surveys to arrive through mail or digital portals rather than traditional telephone calls.

As communication technology keeps shifting, traditional methods of gauging public opinion require major updates to stay viable, making diversified communication channels essential for accurate data collection.