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The voice in a robocall sounded like Biden but instead came from a New Orleans magician, said the political consultant behind the scheme who wanted to send a ‘wake-up call’ about the dangers of AI

Feb 27, 2024 - fortune.com
Political consultant Steve Kramer admitted to being behind a robocall that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice, stating his intention was to highlight the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in politics, not to influence the New Hampshire primary. Kramer paid a magician $150 to create a message, which was sent to thousands of voters, suggesting that voting in the primary would prevent them from voting in November. Despite being investigated for potential violation of voter suppression law, Kramer insists his actions were meant to draw attention to the dangers of AI in political campaigns.

Kramer, who has decades of experience in political campaigns, expressed concern over the increasing use of AI by campaigns and super PACs. He criticized the slow pace of regulation at state and federal levels and decided to tackle the issue himself. Since the incident, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned robocalls containing AI-generated voices, and major tech companies have agreed to adopt precautions to prevent AI tools from disrupting elections. Kramer has been subpoenaed by the FCC and says he is ready to cooperate.

Key takeaways:

  • Political consultant Steve Kramer admitted to being behind a robocall that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice, claiming his intention was to highlight the potential misuse of artificial intelligence in politics, not to influence the New Hampshire primary.
  • Kramer paid a magician $150 to create the message, which falsely suggested that voting in the primary would prevent voters from casting a ballot in November. The robocall is being investigated as a potential violation of the state’s voter suppression law.
  • Kramer, who has decades of experience in political campaigns, expressed concern about the potential harmful use of AI in politics and frustration with the slow pace of regulation. He believes his actions will ultimately lead to a better democracy.
  • Since the New Hampshire robocall incident, the FCC has outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, and major tech companies have agreed to adopt precautions to prevent AI tools from being used to disrupt elections.
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