AI-generated voices in robocalls can deceive voters. The FCC just made them illegal

The announcement comes after AI-generated robocalls mimicking President Joe Bidenโ€™s voice were used to discourage people from voting in last month's New Hampshire primary.

FILE- This Dec. 14, 2017, file photo, shows the seal of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before a meeting in Washington. Congressional leaders and a media accountability organization are urging the Federal Communications Commission to examine how policy decisions have disparately harmed Black people and other communities of color, according to a letter sent Tuesday, June 29, 2021, to the acting FCC chair.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, a decision that sends a clear message that exploiting the technology to scam people and mislead voters wonโ€™t be tolerated.

The unanimous ruling targets robocalls made with AI voice-cloning tools under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a 1991 law restricting junk calls that use artificial and prerecorded voice messages.

The announcement comes as New Hampshire authorities are advancing their investigation into AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Bidenโ€™s voice to discourage people from voting in the state's first-in-the-nation primary last month.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office is investigating a robocall using an AI-generated clone of President Joe Biden telling people not to vote in the primary.

Effective immediately, the regulation empowers the FCC to fine companies that use AI voices in their calls or block the service providers that carry them. It also opens the door for call recipients to file lawsuits and gives state attorneys general a new mechanism to crack down on violators, according to the FCC.

โ€œBad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters,โ€ FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a news release. โ€œWeโ€™re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice.โ€

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