– FCC proposed a $6 million fine for a scammer using voice-cloning tech to impersonate President Biden in illegal robocalls
– AI platforms make creating fake voices easy, but using them in robocalls to suppress voters is illegal
– FCC working to prevent misuse of generative AI technology in elections and consumer fraud
The FCC has proposed a $6 million fine for a scammer who used voice-cloning technology to impersonate President Biden in illegal robocalls during a New Hampshire primary election. The agency is sending a warning to high-tech scammers through this decision, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense.
In January, voters in New Hampshire received a fake call supposedly from the president, advising them not to vote in the upcoming primary. The voice was a clone of President Biden created using easily accessible generative AI platforms that allow for the creation of cloned voices with little oversight.
Despite the availability of fake voice creation technology, the FCC and law enforcement agencies have made it clear that manipulating voters through robocalls is not permissible. Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, Loyaan Egal, emphasized swift action against misuse of generative AI technology to interfere with elections.
The primary perpetrator, political consultant Steve Kramer, utilized the services of shady entities to carry out the illegal robocalls. The $6 million fine may not be the final amount paid, and Kramer will need to respond to the allegations. Separate actions are also being taken against the entities involved, indicating the seriousness of the offense.
AI-generated voices were declared illegal for use in robocalls in February, following the incident involving the fake Biden voice. The FCC clarified that these voices fall under the category of “artificial,” making their use in such calls unlawful.