New Hampshire AG Reports Phony AI Biden Robocalls Targeted 25,000 Voters

Two Texas-based companies are under investigation for a series of robocalls that utilized artificial intelligence to impersonate President Joe Biden. These audio deepfakes aimed to dissuade New Hampshire voters from participating in the state's presidential primary, with Attorney General John Formella reporting that up to 25,000 calls were made to residents in January.

The investigation has linked Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom to the source of these robocalls. To date, no charges have been filed against either company or Life Corporation's owner, Walter Monk. Authorities suspect the involvement of additional entities, with federal law enforcement also examining the case.

"We have issued a cease-and-desist letter to Life Corporation demanding immediate compliance with New Hampshire election laws," Formella stated during a press conference. "A criminal investigation is underway, and we are taking further steps, including sending document preservation notices and subpoenas to Life Corporation, Lingo Telecom, and relevant individuals."

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Lingo Telecom, emphasizing that both companies had previously been warned about their robocalling practices.

The deepfake technology was developed using tools from ElevenLabs, an AI voice cloning company that has since banned the responsible user, asserting its commitment to preventing the misuse of audio AI tools.

In response to these incidents, the FCC is actively working to prohibit robocalls utilizing AI-generated voices. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the agency is tasked with regulating robocalls and plans to vote on new rules in the coming weeks.