The New Hampshire attorney general’s office said Monday it is investigating a robocall voters in the state have received ahead of Tuesday’s primary imitating President Biden’s voice.
In the message, which officials are calling an attempt at voter suppression, an AI-generated voice of Biden tells Democrats to wait until November to vote.
“[I]t’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” the call says. “Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
A fake, likely AI-generated robocall imitating President Biden is telling New Hampshire voters to stay home from Tuesday’s primary.
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) January 23, 2024
More: https://t.co/SygzpzRLMX pic.twitter.com/9MxmHmab48
The AG’s office said the Jan. 21 messages “appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters.”
New Hampshire officials encouraged voters who received the call to ignore the message and report it to the state’s Election Law Unit.
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, is calling for an investigation at the federal level, writing to the Department of Justice on Monday about the issue.
“This clear bid to interfere in the New Hampshire primary demands a thorough investigation and a forceful response from federal officials to deter further AI-based attacks that will disrupt American democracy and disenfranchise American voters,” Morelle wrote.
JUST IN: @RepJoeMorelle, top Dem on the House Admin Committee — which oversees election administration — urges AG Garland and DOJ to investigate the robocall imitating Joe Biden’s voice that has been circulating in NH. pic.twitter.com/KccSJaf8DX
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 23, 2024
Responding to a question about the issue during Monday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the robocall touched on the broader issue of "deep fakes."
"That was fake, and it was certainly not recorded by this president," she said. "The president has been clear that there are risks associated with deep fakes. Fake images and misinformation can be exacerbated by emerging technologies."
As New Hampshire voters prepared to cast their votes in the state's first-in-the nation primary, a robocall is circulating in the state urging Democrats to stay home - using a fake audio of US President Joe Biden https://t.co/9mPit5Oi8k pic.twitter.com/TVqVsUqS4U
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 23, 2024