The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office recently confirmed that voters across the state received AI robocalls featuring a deepfake audio impersonating President Joe Biden.
This incident, a disturbing example of the misuse of artificial intelligence in politics, involved an AI-powered imitation of Biden’s voice urging voters not to participate in the Democratic primary. Experts believe this move was aimed at disrupting the electoral process.
The incident, which unfolded over the weekend just before the New Hampshire primary, sent shockwaves across the political and technological communities.
The digitally altered Biden voice said, “Republicans have been trying to push nonpartisan and Democratic voters to participate in their primary. What a bunch of malarkey. We know the value of voting Democratic when our votes count. It’s important that you save your vote for the November election. We’ll need your help in electing Democrats up and down the ticket. Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again.”
The origins of the deepfake robocall remain unclear, but its impact was immediate and concerning. New Hampshire officials, recognizing the gravity of the situation, launched an investigation into what they described as an “unlawful attempt” at voter suppression.
Aaron Foss, CEO of Nomorobo, provided critical data to CNN regarding the recent robocall incident. According to Foss, a significant majority of these calls, approximately 76%, specifically targeted voters in New Hampshire. Additionally, around 12% of these calls were directed at Boston, with the remaining 12% being distributed across other areas.
Nomorobo’s analysis estimated that the total count of these deceptive robocalls ranged somewhere between 5,000 to 25,000, highlighting the substantial reach and potential impact of this disinformation campaign.
In response to the robocall campaign that utilized a deepfake audio of President Biden, New Hampshire’s Office of the Attorney General released a statement addressing the issue.
“Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications,” the Attorney General said in their news release.
The artificial intelligence technology used to create the deepfake voice of Biden represents a significant advancement in digital manipulation capabilities, making it increasingly challenging to distinguish between real and fabricated content.
Aaron Jacobs, a spokesperson for Write-In Biden, said in a statement, “This is deep fake disinformation designed to harm Joe Biden, suppress votes, and damage our democracy,” adding that the group remains “focused on one goal until polls close on Tuesday: encouraging Granite Staters to write-in Joe Biden.”
The use of such technology in this context raises serious ethical questions about the role of AI in politics and elections. While AI can potentially enhance democratic engagement, its misuse, as demonstrated in this incident, poses a significant threat to the integrity of electoral processes.
The New Hampshire incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for robust legal frameworks and public awareness to prevent the misuse of AI in political campaigning.
On social media, people expressed their concerns about this news, advising each other to remain vigilant and cautious.
We have to be careful out there.
— martelvonc (@martelvonc) January 22, 2024
That’s illegal – it’s against the FCC regulations
— 🧹Candida Tormora Orta🟦🧹 (@CandidaOrta) January 22, 2024
Some people demanded the arrest of the culprits behind this unlawful act.
Anyone hiding AI in an election should be arrested.
— Lisa (@Lisa_ITMFA) January 22, 2024
Just recently, OpenAI banned the developer of a bot mimicking long-shot Democratic presidential hopeful Rep. Dean Phillips. As we move towards future elections, incidents like these underscore the growing importance of verifying information and understanding the capabilities and potential impact of AI technologies on society.
Ensuring the integrity of our democratic processes in the age of sophisticated digital manipulation requires a concerted effort from policymakers, tech companies, and voters alike.
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