The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday banned the use of voices generated by AI in automated phone calls used to promote commercial or other messages. The measure is intended to combat fraud and misinformation, US media reported. The announcement of the move was preceded by the spread of a message that imitated the voice of US President Joe Biden.
The Evolution of AI and Robocalls
Americans have been complaining for years about so-called robocalls, as unsolicited automated calls with different content are referred to. But now the phenomenon is taking on a new dimension with the rise of systems that can faithfully mimic the voices of politicians or other celebrities. It is for this reason, too, that fears of a wave of AI-driven misinformation are growing ahead of the US election in November.
“It seems like something from the distant future, but this is already happening,” said FCC Director Jessica Rosenworcel, according to the New York Times. “Actors with nefarious intentions are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to blackmail vulnerable family members, mimic celebrities and deceive voters,” she continued.
Regulatory Responses to Voice Cloning
Until now, U.S. authorities could prosecute the perpetrators for the results of such fraud, but now the application of “voice cloning technology” itself will be deemed illegal, according to the FCC. In doing so, it based the tightening of the rules on a 1991 law that regulates “telemarketing” and automatic telephone dialling tools.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned last year that scams using imitations of real people’s voices are becoming more common. According to public radio station NPR, among other things, Americans face extortion attempts through recordings masquerading as the words of their loved ones who are in danger.
Recent Incidents and Investigation
The problem of fake messages was again highlighted last month by an incident in the state of New Hampshire, where the presidential primary was held. Thousands of people there were the target of a faux message mimicking President Biden, urging them not to vote.
The attorney general of the northeastern US state has launched an investigation into suspected voter suppression and said this week that a group from Texas was apparently behind the calls. He said the perpetrators manipulated the call data to make it appear to come from the former head of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire.
