Company Under Fire for Deepfake Biden Voice Slapped With $1 Million Fine by FCC

A company that produced artificial intelligence (AI) impersonating President Biden has settled a legal claim for $1 million. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initially sought a $2 million penalty from Lingo Telecom, but it agreed to settle for the lower figure provided the firm adheres to strict rules in the future. 

The lawsuit followed a stunt in January in New Hampshire, when potential voters received phone calls, ostensibly from President Biden, who told them if they turned out to cast their ballots in primary elections, it would also count toward the general election in November. 

Steve Kramer, who was responsible for the episode, insisted he did nothing wrong and that his intent was not to influence the election but to highlight the dangers of AI. Nevertheless, he faces a $6 million personal fine and potential criminal charges, including voter suppression and impersonating a candidate, which could send him to prison for up to seven years. 

The FCC described its action against Lingo Telecom and Steve Kramer as the “first of its kind” and promised to take similar actions in similar future cases. “We will act swiftly and decisively to ensure that bad actors cannot use U.S. telecommunications networks to facilitate the misuse of generative AI technology,” a spokesperson said. 

Known as deep fakes, the latest technology allows users to create images or audio that imitate individuals and can be used to persuade viewers or listeners of false information. A British report in March revealed that thousands of famous faces have fallen victory to the technology, including in images and videos purporting to show them engaging in intimate adult acts. 

Actors, musicians, and politicians were among 4,000 individuals found on some of the world’s most popular deep fake sites, often in video clips showing them apparently engaging in controversial activities. Among them was British journalist Cathy Newman, who told reporters that she felt violated when she learned of the images. Newman described it as “really sinister” that people were willing to “put this together.” Other targets also described the impersonations as a violation and said they felt degraded by them.