"Misinformation: Fake Biden Phone Call Aims to Discourage Voter Turnout"

In a recent incident during the New Hampshire presidential primary, voters received phone calls featuring a voice-cloned imitation of President Joe Biden. The impersonated Biden urged recipients not to participate in the primary, stating, “Save your vote for the November election.” He even included one of his signature phrases, “What a bunch of malarkey,” to further convince voters.

It’s essential to clarify that participating in a presidential primary does not restrict a voter from casting a ballot in the General Election. The imitation call concluded with a reference to Kathy Sullivan, the former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office promptly stepped in to address the situation, asserting that the calls were likely “artificially generated” and labeled it as a troubling attempt to disrupt the electoral process and suppress voter turnout.

Despite not being officially listed in the primary candidates, President Biden still emerged victorious, thanks primarily to write-in votes from constituents. As the Attorney General's office investigates the origin of these misleading calls, this episode highlights an alarming trend: the misuse of generative AI technology in the context of elections, particularly with the 2024 election approaching.

The accessibility of personal data has enabled bad actors to easily purchase voter phone numbers from data brokers, facilitating deceptive practices like this. David Scanlan, New Hampshire’s Secretary of State, emphasized the need for heightened awareness regarding the potential for misinformation. “This situation underscores a national concern. We need to adapt our approaches to counteract misinformation swiftly and effectively,” he noted. Meanwhile, he urged voters to exercise skepticism and not take every piece of information at face value.

This incident is part of a broader epidemic, with countless AI-generated deepfake videos of President Biden and his electoral competitor Donald Trump proliferating online, particularly on platforms like YouTube. The World Economic Forum has identified misinformation and disinformation as significant global risks, with the rise of AI as a major contributor to this issue.

In a similar vein, last year saw the unauthorized release of an audio deepfake involving Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka during that country’s parliamentary elections, which sparked controversy due to its contents discussing vote-buying. Simecka denounced the recording as a “nonsensical fabrication” and “falsehoods.”

As artificial intelligence technology continues to advance, the implications for democratic processes are significant. Addressing the challenges posed by such technology requires vigilance from electoral officials and a collective responsibility from voters to critically evaluate the information they receive. With ethical considerations in play, it remains crucial to combat digital deception to preserve the integrity of elections and the trust of citizens in the electoral system.