U.S. lawmakers introduce bill to increase penalties for AI-powered fraud and impersonation
Unidentified actors used AI voice cloning technology to impersonate U.S. government officials including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in fraudulent calls to senior officials, senators, governors, and foreign ministers. In response, bipartisan U.S. lawmakers introduced the AI Fraud Deterrence Act to increase criminal penalties for fraud and impersonation committed with AI assistance.
What happened
Unidentified parties used AI voice technology to impersonate White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in fraudulent calls to senators, governors, and business leaders a few months before the bill's introduction. According to the Wall Street Journal in May, federal authorities investigated the fraudulent calls and texts, and Wiles said her phone had been hacked.
Less than two months later, fraudsters used AI voice technology to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio in voicemails, texts, and Signal messages sent to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator, and a governor, apparently attempting to obtain sensitive information and account access.
Reported impact
The impersonations posed national security risks, with lawmakers noting that impersonations of U.S. officials 'can be disastrous for our national security.'
Index analysis
The incidents prompted bipartisan legislation, the AI Fraud Deterrence Act, introduced by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), which aims to deter fraud by increasing penalties for crimes committed with AI assistance.
Governance controls
The proposed AI Fraud Deterrence Act would raise maximum criminal fines to between $1 million and $2 million and extend prison sentences to 20-30 years for mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud committed with AI assistance. The legislation carves out First Amendment protections for satire, parody, and other expressive uses that include clear disclosure of inauthenticity.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.