The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a hefty $6 million fine on political consultant Steve Kramer for orchestrating misleading robocalls that utilized a deepfake of President Joe Biden's voice to mislead voters in New Hampshire before the primary election.

These robocalls targeted New Hampshire voters, falsely urging them not to participate in the Democratic primary, and instead suggesting they save their votes for the general election.

The deepfake audio featured Biden allegedly advising voters that their participation in the primary was less important than voting in November.

Kramer's actions violated the Truth in Caller ID Act, which prohibits misleading caller identification, a law recently updated to encompass AI-generated content.

FCC officials have stressed that the misuse of generative AI in political campaigns poses a significant threat to democracy and will not be tolerated.

Kramer was indicted in May on multiple charges, including candidate impersonation, bribery, and intimidation, all related to these deceptive robocalls.

In addition to the FCC fine, Kramer faces 26 criminal charges, including serious felony counts of voter suppression.

Kramer claimed that his intention was to raise awareness about the dangers of AI technology in political contexts, despite the negative ramifications of his actions.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has warned about the dangers of using AI to clone voices, emphasizing that it can illegally interfere with elections.

Kramer is required to pay the $6 million fine within 30 days, or the case will be referred to the Justice Department for collection.

In a related case, Lingo Telecom was fined $1 million for facilitating the transmission of these fraudulent robocalls and will need to implement a compliance plan for caller ID authentication.

The FCC is also considering new proposals to require disclosure of AI-generated content in political advertisements, reflecting growing concerns over the implications of AI in electoral processes.