The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office is currently investigating a fraudulent robocall that leverages President Joe Biden’s voice to discourage Democratic voters from participating in the state’s primary on Tuesday.
Several voters reported receiving the fabricated message on Sunday night, urging them, “Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.” Notably, the call included the personal phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a prominent figure advocating for Democrats to write in Biden’s name on the ballot.
Sullivan, a former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party and now running a super PAC supporting the broader write-in effort for Biden, expressed her strong condemnation of the deepfake, stating, “We know there are anti-democratic forces out there who are terrified by the energy of this grassroots movement to stop Donald Trump, but New Hampshire voters will not stand for any efforts to undermine our right to vote.”
Expressing her dismay over the fake robocall and the leak of her personal information, Sullivan labeled the perpetrators as unpatriotic and un-American, emphasizing the interference with fundamental democratic processes.
The origin of the deceptive call remains uncertain, with Sullivan noting that the culprit seemed to target a “very random” list of phone numbers, including the location of a recent rally held by former President Donald Trump in the Manchester hockey arena.
Sullivan has been in contact with the state attorney general’s office, and the Biden campaign is actively exploring additional measures to assist voters. However, the incident raises concerns about a potentially broader problem. Cybersecurity experts, including Miles Taylor, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official, have been anticipating malicious uses of deepfakes in the 2024 presidential election.
Deepfakes, created using artificial intelligence or other technology, can manipulate videos or images, raising concerns about their potential misuse in election campaigns. Taylor warned that this incident might just be the beginning of such challenges.
The fraudulent use of deepfakes during elections has been a longstanding concern for U.S. government and private sector security officials. Last June, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign reportedly used deepfake-like images in a campaign video, and Senator Richard Blumenthal played an AI-generated recording during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to highlight the potential dangers of deepfakes.
The former Department of Homeland Security cyber official emphasized that the New Hampshire incident could become more common due to rapid technological advances and the absence of comprehensive oversight. With the winner-takes-all nature of elections, there’s a significant incentive for malicious actors to use innovative technologies for political interference.
Acknowledging the risks associated with AI, particularly in the political arena, the former official noted the current lack of comprehensive answers on securing AI and leveraging it for security purposes. The challenge lies in understanding how to balance technological innovation with safeguards to prevent misuse.
New Hampshire state authorities, recognizing the potential disruption to the presidential primary election and an attempt to suppress voters, have initiated an investigation into the fraudulent robocall. The voice in the call appears to be artificially generated, further highlighting the potential misuse of deepfake technology in political processes.
The Attorney General’s office has encouraged affected individuals to report details of the call, including the date, time, origin, and content, and assured voters that participating in the primary election does not preclude them from voting in the November General Election. The investigation is ongoing.