Record $6M Fine for Deepfake Use in Politics!
Steven Kramer utilized voice cloning AI to make automated calls sound like President Biden. Is this the future of automated political communication?
Record Fine for Illegal Use of Deepfake Technology in Politics
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a $6 million fine on political consultant Steve Kramer for illegally using advanced artificial intelligence technology, known as deepfake, to create robocalls during the New Hampshire primaries.
Breach of Caller ID Law
Kramer breached the “Truth in Caller ID Act” of 2009, which prohibits anyone from “knowingly transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.” Originally, this law did not specifically target AI use. However, in February, the FCC unanimously voted to extend this law to also cover AI-generated deepfakes.
Using Deepfakes to Manipulate the Election
Kramer utilized robocalls to broadcast pre-recorded audio messages mimicking President Biden’s voice via deepfake technology. These fraudulent calls misled New Hampshire voters into abstaining from voting in the 2024 presidential primary, falsely claiming their votes would only matter in November, not on the upcoming Tuesday. According to the New York Times, these calls appeared to be from the former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Accomplice Magician and a Closed Account
To produce these recordings, Kramer enlisted Paul Carpenter, a magician from New Orleans. Carpenter demonstrated to NBC News how he used an AI voice generator called ElevenLabs to create the deepfake audio files of President Biden. The creation process took only 20 minutes, and Kramer paid him via Venmo. Carpenter believed his work was sanctioned by President Biden’s campaign. Since then, Eleven Labs has terminated Carpenter’s account.
Although Kramer claims the robocalls were intended to raise awareness about the dangers and misuse of technology, he now faces not only a hefty FCC fine but also criminal charges. Last May, New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced that Kramer faced 13 counts of voter suppression and 13 counts of impersonating a candidate.