In a startling revelation, artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes have emerged as a tool for misinformation in the political arena, especially in the context of the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. New Hampshire residents recently experienced robo-calls, eerily mimicking the voice of U.S. President Joe Biden, instructing them not to participate in the January 23 primary. These automated messages, identified as AI deepfake creations, aimed to disrupt the electoral process, highlighting the growing influence and misuse of AI in political manipulation.
The robocalls, as recorded by NBC, conveyed a misleading message discouraging voting, a tactic seen as an attempt to influence the election outcome. This incident raised alarms about the unchecked power of AI and the urgent need for regulation to safeguard democratic processes. While the New Hampshire Attorney General's office has denounced these calls as misinformation, the source of these robocalls remains under investigation.
In a similar vein, another political scandal unfolded involving deepfake audio of Manhattan Democrat leader Keith Wright. This AI-generated audio falsely portrayed Wright making derogatory comments about fellow Democrat assembly member Inez Dickens. Though some recognized the audio as fake, it momentarily fooled political insiders, underscoring the convincing nature of deepfake technology.
These incidents underscore the challenge in distinguishing between real and AI-generated content. Experts note that audio deepfakes are particularly deceptive, as people are more critical of visual than auditory misinformation. The current lack of universal detection methods for deepfakes further complicates the issue, highlighting the need for cautious consumption of media from unverified sources.
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