American political consultant fined $6 million for using AI to fake Biden’s voice in robocalls

An American political consultant has been fined $6 million over fake robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice, urging voters in a state not to vote in the Democratic primary.

In May, Steven Kramer, a Louisiana Democratic political consultant, was indicted in New Hampshire over calls that appeared to have Biden asking residents not to vote until November. Kramer had worked for Biden’s primary challenger, Representative Dean Phillips, who denounced the calls.

In January, Kramer told media outlets he paid $500 to have the calls sent to voters to raise attention to the danger of artificial intelligence in campaigns.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the calls were generated using an AI-generated deepfake audio recording meant to sound like Biden’s voice.

FCC rules prohibit transmission of inaccurate caller ID information. The commission said Kramer will be required to pay the fine within 30 days or the matter will be referred to the Justice Department for collection.