Political Consultant Fined for AI-Generated Biden Robocalls

Thumbnail Image

The information displayed in the AIM should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries.

The FCC fined political consultant Steven Kramer $6 million for using AI to create fake robocalls mimicking President Biden's voice, urging New Hampshire voters not to vote in the Democratic primary. The calls, intended to highlight AI's potential dangers, led to charges of voter suppression and impersonation.[AI generated]

Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?

The misuse of AI-generated voice cloning for robocalls to mislead and suppress voters constitutes a clear case where an AI system’s use directly led to harm (voter suppression, violation of election integrity). This is not merely a warning or update, but an actual incident of AI-caused harm.[AI generated]
AI principles
Transparency & explainabilityRespect of human rightsAccountabilitySafetyDemocracy & human autonomy

Industries
Government, security, and defenceMedia, social platforms, and marketing

Affected stakeholders
General public

Harm types
Public interestHuman or fundamental rightsReputational

Business function:
Marketing and advertisement

AI system task:
Content generation


Articles about this incident or hazard