FCC Bans AI-Generated Robocalls – The New York Times

The Federal Communications Commission Thursday banned unwanted robocalls generated by artificial intelligenceamid growing concerns about election misinformation and technology-enabled consumer fraud.

The FCC’s unanimous decision cited a three-decade-old law aimed at combating unwanted phone calls, clarifying that AI-generated spam calls are also illegal. In doing so, the agency said it expanded states’ ability to pursue creators of unsolicited spam robocalls.

“It seems like it’s from the distant future, but it’s already here,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Malicious actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, impersonate celebrities, and misinform voters. »

Concerns about the use of AI to replicate the voices and images of politicians and celebrities have grown in recent months as the technology to recreate characters has taken off, particularly in the run-up to the US presidential election in November.

These concerns came to a head late last month, when thousands of voters received an unsolicited robocall in a fake voice from President Biden, ordering voters to refrain from voting in Biden’s first primary. election season. The state attorney general’s office announced this week that it had opened a criminal investigation into a Texas-based company that it believes was behind the robocall. The caller ID was falsified to make it appear that the calls were coming from the former chairwoman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

AI has also been used to create fake videos and advertisements imitating the voices and images of celebrities and politicians. This includes fake and unapproved videos of actor Tom Hanks promoting dental care plans and a sexually explicit video of singer Taylor Swift.

Lawmakers have called for legislation banning false information about AI in political ads, but no bill has gained traction in Congress. In the absence of federal legislation, more than a dozen states have passed laws limiting the use of AI in political ads.

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