Consultant behind fake Biden calls faces $6 million fine

Woncord, NH — A political consultant who sent automatic calls generated by artificial intelligence imitating President Joe Biden’s voice to voters before the New Hampshire presidential primary faces a $6 million fine and more than two dozen criminal charges.

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday’s proposed fine for Steven Kramer is the first involving generative AI technology. The company accused of transmitting the calls, Lingo Telecom, faces a $2 million fine, although in both cases the parties could reach a settlement or negotiate further, the FCC said.

Kramer admitted to orchestrating a message that was sent to thousands of voters two days earlier the country’s first primary on January 23rd. The message played an AI-generated voice similar to that of the Democratic president, who used his phrase “What a bunch of nonsense” and falsely suggested that voting in the primaries would prevent voters from voting in November.

Kramer faces 13 criminal charges alleging he violated a New Hampshire law against trying to dissuade someone from voting by using misleading information. He also faces 13 misdemeanor charges accusing him of falsely representing himself as a candidate through his own conduct or the conduct of another person. The charges were filed in four counties, but, as is often the case with serious allegations, they will be prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office.

Neither Lingo Telecom nor Kramer responded to requests for comment Thursday. Kramer previously told the Associated Press that he was not trying to influence the outcome of the election, but rather wanted send a wake-up call about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence when he paid a magician from New Orleans $150 to create the recording.

“Maybe I’m a villain today, but I think in the end we will have a better country and a better democracy because of what I did, deliberately,” Kramer said in February.

Lingo Telecom told the AP in February that it was “committed to maintaining the highest standards of customer service in compliance with all of its regulatory obligations.” The company said at the time that it acted quickly to assist in the investigation as soon as it was notified of the fraudulent calls.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said regulators are committed to helping states pursue perpetrators. In a statement, she called the robocalls “erroneous.”

“Because when the caller sounds like a politician you know, a celebrity you like, or a family member you know, any of us could be led to believe something that isn’t true with calls using AI technology,” he said. her in a statement. “This is exactly how the bad actors behind these unwanted calls with manipulated voices want you to react.”

Shortly after the New Hampshire primary, the agency illegal robocalls which contain voices generated by artificial intelligence.

In an interview days after he was publicly identified as the source of the calls, Kramer said he disagreed that his robocall suppressed voter turnout, noting that Biden won the Democratic primaries by a wide margin as a registered candidate. While doing some ballot access work for another former Democratic presidential candidate, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Kramer said he acted alone.

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Swenson reported from New York.