The death of ‘hello’: how gen Z – and scammers – put paid to the greeting

On September 7, 2026, The Guardian reported that artificial intelligence voice cloning technology, combined with the younger generation’s preference for personalized interactions, has made the traditional greeting “hello” increasingly ineffective. Scammers use this technology to create realistic voices that imitate acquaintances or authoritative figures, making it difficult for victims to identify the speaker through simple greetings. This phenomenon not only changes daily communication habits but also raises serious challenges regarding identity verification mechanisms in the digital age.