Firm Fined $1M for AI Robocalls in Biden's Voice

Political consultant faces charges for orchestrating deceptive AI robocalls
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 22, 2024 11:53 AM CDT
Firm Fined $1M for AI Robocalls in Biden's Voice
Steve Kramer is seated Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at Superior Court, in Laconia, N.H., during his arraignment in connection with charges of voter suppression and impersonating a candidate.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne, Pool)

Federal regulators have fined Lingo Telecom $1 million for its involvement in deceptive robocalls targeting New Hampshire voters that used AI to mimic President Joe Biden's voice. This settlement culminates an enforcement action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which had initially wanted to see a $2 million penalty imposed. The calls, which were placed on January 21, falsely implied that participating in the state's presidential primary would bar voters from the general election in November.

The misleading phone messages, devised by political consultant Steve Kramer, went out to thousands of voters. Kramer, who employed a street magician to create the audio, stated his intention was to highlight AI risks, not mess with the primary. He faces a proposed $6 million FCC fine and state criminal charges that carry potential sentences of up to seven years for voter suppression and one year for candidate impersonation.

In addition to the fine, Lingo Telecom has agreed to stringent caller ID authentication rules and verification obligations to safeguard the accuracy of information from clients and upstream providers. FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized, "Every one of us deserves to know that the voice on the line is exactly who they claim to be." Loyaan Egal, FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief, warned that combining caller ID spoofing with AI voice-cloning technology poses a serious threat to political integrity. At the time of reporting, Lingo Telecom had not commented on the settlement. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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