LACONIA, N.H. (AP) — A political consultant who sent artificial intelligence-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice made his first appearance in court Wednesday in New Hampshire, where he is charged with voter suppression and impersonation a candidate ahead of the state’s first election. -the-nation presidential primaries.
Steven Kramer, who also faces a $6 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission, has admitted to orchestrating a message sent to thousands of voters two days before the Jan. 23 primary. The message sounded through an AI-generated voice, similar to that of the Democratic president, who used the phrase “What a bunch of malarkey” and falsely suggested that voting in the primaries would deter voters from casting ballots in November.
Kramer was charged last month with 13 felonies, alleging he violated a New Hampshire law against trying to deter someone from voting using misleading information. He also faces 13 felony charges, accusing him of falsely portraying himself as a candidate through his own conduct or that of someone else.
The charges have been filed in four counties and are being prosecuted by the attorney general’s office.
At Kramer’s arraignment in Belknap County on Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Brendan O’Donnell successfully argued that Kramer should be ordered to post $10,000 bail. He argued the amount was needed to ensure Kramer returns to court, as he travels frequently and maintains homes in multiple states.
Kramer’s attorney, Tom Reid, argued for personal recognizance bail. He said Kramer has a long history of appearing in regulatory proceedings and has never missed a court date.
“A lot of travel doesn’t mean someone is a flight risk,” he said.
Kramer declined to comment as he left the courthouse. According to his lawyer, he enjoys the presumption of innocence.
“Obviously we’re enjoying the presumption of innocence at this point, we’re going to look at all the different charges and engage with the attorney general’s office,” Reid said.
Kramer, who owns a company that specializes in voter turnout projects, told The Associated Press in February that he was not trying to influence the outcome of the primary, but rather wanted to send a wake-up call about the election. potential dangers of artificial intelligence when he paid a New Orleans magician $150 to make the recording.
“Maybe I’m a bad guy today, but I think we’ll ultimately have a better country and a better democracy because of what I deliberately did,” Kramer said in February.
Voter suppression carries a penalty of 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison. Impersonating a candidate carries a prison sentence of up to one year.
Since the robocalls in New Hampshire, the FCC has taken steps to combat the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in political communications. In February it confirmed that AI tools for cloning voices in robocalls are banned under existing law, and on Wednesday it introduced a proposal to require political advertisers to disclose when they use artificial intelligence-generated content in television and radio ads.
If adopted, the new rules would add a layer of transparency that many lawmakers and AI experts have been calling for as rapidly advancing generative AI tools produce lifelike images, videos and audio clips that threaten to mislead voters in the upcoming U.S. elections.
The charges against Kramer were announced the same day the FCC proposed its fine, along with a $2 million fine against Lingo Telecom, the company accused of relaying the calls. The proposed fines were the agency’s first involving generative AI technology, but Lingo Telecom said it strongly disagreed with the FCC’s action, calling it an attempt to retroactively impose new rules.
___
The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to improve its explanatory reporting on elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
