New Hampshire State in the United States filed criminal charges against a Democratic political consultant on Wednesday (May 22) for allegedly making automated phone calls to voters earlier this year before the presidential primaries, using artificial intelligence technology to mimic President Biden’s voice and urging Democratic voters not to vote.
According to reports from WMUR-TV, an affiliate of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in New Hampshire, Democratic political consultant Steve Kramer is facing multiple criminal charges including bribery, intimidation, and suppression. It is unclear how he is defending against these charges at this time.
In January of this year, just before the first national Democratic primary in New Hampshire, Kramer made these calls to thousands of voters in the state, using deep fake technology to imitate Biden’s voice and tell voters to stay at home and “hold onto” their votes for November’s election.
This is the first known example of using deep fake calls in national American politics. This has sparked strong protests from officials and regulatory agencies, leading the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to propose a new regulation prohibiting unsolicited automated voice calls using artificial intelligence.
Kramer is a seasoned campaign consultant, primarily working for the Democratic Party, especially in New York. At the time of the automated voice call incident, he had a six-figure contract with the presidential campaign team of Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips from Minnesota, who was launching a long-shot primary challenge against Biden.
Both Kramer and Phillips’ campaign team strongly deny any knowledge of the automated voice call and deny instructing Kramer to create it.
Phillips performed poorly in the New Hampshire primary and dropped out of the presidential race in March.
New Hampshire has charged Kramer with various offenses, including impersonating a candidate. The state has also sued two out-of-state telecom companies for their involvement in making these automated voice calls.