Days after being named by a fork-bending magician, a former consultant for Rep. Dean Phillips' presidential campaign has admitted sending AI-generated calls from Democratic President Joe Biden to New Hampshire voters.
Steve Kramer said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that he sent out the calls as a way "to make a difference" and alert the nation about the increasingly dangerous use cases for AI in politics.
In a statement sent to Business Insider on Monday morning, Kramer warned that "with a mere $500 investment, anyone could replicate my intentional call," adding that finding voters to reach out to was simple. "A voter list can be purchased quickly and easily through any political vendor," he said.
Calling for federal regulators to take "immediate action" on the issue, he warned that "even individuals acting alone can quickly and easily use A.I. for misleading and disruptive purposes."
Since he placed the calls in January, the Federal Communications Commission reformed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to forbid AI-generated voices in robocalls, giving state attorneys general additional resources to combat the problem.
Before the magician named Kramer, it was unclear who was responsible for the fake Biden audio. The Associated Press reported earlier in February that the FCC issued cease-and-desist letters to two Texas-based companies related to the robocalls, but Kramer's name was unmentioned.
Kramer has been more than $100,000 by Phillips' presidential campaign in recent months for consulting work, but the candidate's press secretary said the campaign had no involvement in the scheme.
"We are disgusted to learn that Mr. Kramer is allegedly behind this call, and if the allegations are true, we absolutely denounce his actions," she told NBC News.
Kramer has yet to face legal backlash for the robocalls, but Phillips' campaign has hinted it may go after him for his involvement.
