Voice of America (VOA News) – US Politics

Louisiana Political Consultant Indicted Over Fake Robocall Impersonating President Biden

A Louisiana political consultant, Steven Kramer, has been indicted on charges of felony voter suppression and misdemeanor impersonation of a candidate after allegedly orchestrating a fake robocall imitating U.S. President Joe Biden in an attempt to dissuade people from voting for him in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary election.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office revealed that thousands of New Hampshire residents received a robocall message urging them not to vote until November. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a $6 million fine for the robocalls, which were said to use an AI-generated deepfake audio recording of Biden’s voice. Lingo Telecom, the company allegedly responsible for transmitting the robocalls, faces a $2 million fine.

With concerns mounting in Washington over the potential for AI-generated content to mislead voters in the upcoming presidential and congressional elections, some senators are pushing for legislation to address these threats to election integrity before November.

Attorney General John Formella emphasized New Hampshire’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections, stating that the investigation into the matter is ongoing. He hopes that the state and federal actions will serve as a strong deterrent to anyone considering interfering with elections, whether through the use of artificial intelligence or other means.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed requiring disclosure of AI-generated content in political ads on radio and TV, citing the expected substantial role of AI in 2024 political ads. The FCC highlighted the potential for misleading “deep fakes,” altered images, videos, or audio recordings that depict individuals saying or doing things they did not actually do.