Political consultant indicted for AI robocalls with fake Biden voice made to New Hampshire voters
AI & Technology

Political consultant indicted for AI robocalls with fake Biden voice made to New Hampshire voters

A man who admitted to sending out robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden’s voice on the day of the New Hampshire primary is now facing criminal charges.Ten indictments have been returned against Steve Kramer out of Rockingham County for bribing, intimidation and suppression and impersonation of candidates. The indictments name five people who said they received the robocall. Kramer was also indicted for similar charges in Merrimack and Belknap counties, where other people said they received the calls. “It sounded like Joe Biden, and I was like, that’s weird, and then as I listened more, I’m like, it doesn’t really sound like Joe Biden,” said Krista Zurek, who was one of the voters who got the call.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<The robocalls went out to people across New Hampshire in January on the day of the first-in-the-nation primary. The calls used artificial intelligence to mimic the sound of Biden’s voice and told listeners to save their vote for the November election. Kramer, a political consultant, claimed in an interview with News 9 that he only sent out the calls to drive home the need for more regulation of AI. He said that if investigators wanted to come after him, they should “bring it.”Kramer had previously been contracted by the Dean Phillips presidential campaign, but both he and Phillips said the campaign had no knowledge of the plan for the fake robocalls. News 9 reached out to the New Hampshire attorney general’s office but was told it could not comment. Kramer has not returned requests for comment.

A man who admitted to sending out robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden’s voice on the day of the New Hampshire primary is now facing criminal charges.

Ten indictments have been returned against Steve Kramer out of Rockingham County for bribing, intimidation and suppression and impersonation of candidates. The indictments name five people who said they received the robocall.

Kramer was also indicted for similar charges in Merrimack and Belknap counties, where other people said they received the calls.

“It sounded like Joe Biden, and I was like, that’s weird, and then as I listened more, I’m like, it doesn’t really sound like Joe Biden,” said Krista Zurek, who was one of the voters who got the call.

>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<

The robocalls went out to people across New Hampshire in January on the day of the first-in-the-nation primary. The calls used artificial intelligence to mimic the sound of Biden’s voice and told listeners to save their vote for the November election.

Kramer, a political consultant, claimed in an interview with News 9 that he only sent out the calls to drive home the need for more regulation of AI. He said that if investigators wanted to come after him, they should “bring it.”

Kramer had previously been contracted by the Dean Phillips presidential campaign, but both he and Phillips said the campaign had no knowledge of the plan for the fake robocalls.

News 9 reached out to the New Hampshire attorney general’s office but was told it could not comment. Kramer has not returned requests for comment.