On Monday, Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) wrote a letter to the Justice Department (DOJ) requesting an inquiry into a robocall utilizing an impersonation of President Biden’s voice developed by artificial intelligence (AI), pushing citizens not to vote in New Hampshire’s Tuesday primary.
In his letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Morelle expressed serious concern about the potential impact of AI on future elections.
He requested the DOJ to investigate the event, which was originally reported by NBC News, ahead of Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, and to hold the culpable parties accountable. He expects the investigation would assist in preventing the spread of “AI-generated misinformation and disinformation in future elections.”
The New Hampshire attorney general’s office said Monday it received complaints about a recorded message that “sounds like” Biden but appears to be artificial intelligence-generated.
The office stated that the calls appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the primary, as voters cast ballots in one of the first major battles of the 2024 political season. They urged voters to disregard the letter and submit any information they had about the incident to the state.
“This clear attempt to interfere in the New Hampshire primary necessitates a thorough investigation and a strong response from federal officials to deter further AI-based attacks that will disrupt American democracy and disenfranchise American voters,” Morelle wrote in the letter obtained by Punchbowl News.
A spokeswoman for Biden’s write-in campaign stated that the call had been reported to authorities.
It was unknown how many people received the call, but a representative for Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic Party chair, claimed she spoke with at least a dozen of them, according to The Associated Press.
“The oaths we swore to protect and defend the Constitution require us to use every tool at our disposal to shield the sanctity of our elections,” the letter said.
“If Congress can strengthen law enforcement’s ability to detect and prevent AI-based attempts to subvert our elections, we look forward to working with you to identify and achieve any meaningful and well-defined standards to protect our democracy,” he said in a statement.
The DOJ confirmed receiving Morelle’s letter but declined to speak further.