The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finalized a $6 million penalty against Louisiana political consultant Steven Kramer for orchestrating deceptive robocalls that used an AI-generated imitation of President Joe Biden’s voice. The calls, which urged voters in New Hampshire to refrain from participating in the Democratic primary, have drawn significant scrutiny.
Kramer, who had ties to Biden’s primary challenger, Representative Dean Phillips, was indicted in New Hampshire in May for the calls. He previously claimed the intention behind the robocalls was to highlight the dangers of artificial intelligence in political campaigns. In January, he admitted to funding the calls with a $500 payment to raise awareness about this issue.
The FCC’s investigation revealed that the calls employed a deepfake audio recording to mimic Biden’s voice, which is a violation of FCC regulations against the transmission of misleading caller ID information. The commission mandated that Kramer pay the fine within 30 days; failure to do so could result in the matter being referred to the Justice Department for further action.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the growing risks associated with AI technology in elections, warning that it could lead to fraudulent interference. The FCC also recently fined Lingo Telecom $1 million for its role in transmitting the misleading calls and required the company to implement a compliance plan to adhere to FCC regulations.
In a separate but related initiative, the FCC has proposed new rules that would require political advertisements on broadcast radio and television to disclose whether any content has been generated by AI, although this proposal is still pending.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
