Former Dean Phillips Campaign Consultant Takes Blame for Controversial Biden Robocall Stunt
A major political story has emerged from New Hampshire involving Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota. Steve Kramer, a consultant who had been hired by Rep. Phillips’ presidential campaign, has stunningly admitted that he orchestrated the now infamous robocall impersonating President Joe Biden. In a statement to the media, Kramer detailed his role in the deceptive political stunt just days before the New Hampshire primary election.
Kramer acknowledged using artificial intelligence technology to generate an audio simulation of Biden’s voice, which was then distributed via robocall to over 20,000 New Hampshire voters. The fake recording urged people not to participate in the Democratic primary. Kramer’s statement indicated he was able to generate the AI audio impersonation and launch the calls in under 30 minutes using readily available online tools.
Rep. Dean Phillips Distances Himself
Rep. Dean Phillips and his campaign team have stated they had no advance knowledge of Kramer’s involvement in the Biden robocall scheme. While Kramer had been hired by the campaign for ballot access work, Rep. Phillips has moved to distance himself from the actions of his former consultant. The incident has sparked investigations both at the state and federal level regarding the legal and ethical implications of manipulating voters through advanced AI impersonations.
As the full details continue to emerge, the story surrounding Rep. Dean Phillips and the fake Biden robocall looks poised to have major ramifications for political communication norms and regulations going forward. It represents a watershed moment in terms of AI’s potential for harm if misused in the realm of elections and public policy debates.
