In the lead-up to the upcoming primary election, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office is looking into allegations surrounding an apparent robocall that used AI to mimic President Biden’s voice, aiming to discourage state citizens from participating in the democratic electoral process.
It is believed that the recorded message, which was distributed to several voters on Sunday is an illegal attempt to obstruct and discourage voting. Just like Biden, the person on the call tells listeners to “save your vote for the November election” and makes up the story that voting in Tuesday’s primary will help Republicans win back control of the House of Representatives.
Biden’s Absence on Primary Ballot
It is important to note that Biden will not be on Tuesday’s primary ballot, nor is he campaigning in New Hampshire. But his supporters are organising a write-in campaign for the state. The calls appeared on the victims’ phones under the false pretence that they originated from Kathy Sullivan’s personal number, a former state Democratic Party chair who was involved in the Biden write-in campaign. Sullivan filed a police report on the event, characterising it as overt electoral meddling and an attempt to intimidate electors who were going to write in Joe Biden on Tuesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre swiftly refuted the call’s veracity, suggesting that it was, in fact, fraudulent and not captured on camera by the president. Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s campaign manager, stressed the campaign’s commitment to combating misinformation that seeks to stifle voting and thwart free and fair elections while also stating that the team is actively considering further steps to address the matter.
Generative AI’s Role in Election Disinformation
This instance demonstrates how quickly developing generative AI technology is being used to suppress voting, a tendency that experts predict could pick up steam in the 2024 elections. Campaign advertisements have already used generative AI deepfakes, and elections throughout the world have seen instances of this technology being abused to propagate false information. After listening to the conversation audio, Hany Farid, a digital forensics specialist at the University of California, Berkeley, verified that it was a rather poor-quality AI fake.
As AI technology advances, worries about its possible exploitation in elections do not go away. Despite considerable bipartisan support, Congress has not yet passed legislation restricting the industry’s influence in politics. On a petition asking it to control AI deepfakes in political advertisements, the Federal Election Commission is taking public feedback into consideration.
Election law expert and former counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice David Becker noted that it might be difficult to tell if the primary goal of such calls is to undermine democratic trust or to stifle voting. He contributes to an environment where disinformation flourishes by highlighting the bigger problem of persuading people that there is no such thing as truth.
While the use of generative AI to sway elections is relatively new, deceptive advertising and dirty techniques have always existed. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who is running against Biden in the Democratic primary, has a spokeswoman named Katie Dolan. She denounces any attempt to dissuade voters, calling it a shameful and intolerable insult to democracy. The Trump campaign has disputed any participation in the audio. Listen to the AI-generated audio clip here.
The examination of the AI-generated robocalls in New Hampshire highlights the increasing danger of misinformation and voter suppression through sophisticated AI technology, indicating future threats to election integrity.
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