The announcement comes after a fake AI-generated message imitated US President Joe Biden's voice and advised New Hampshire residents against voting in the state's primary election.

The automated messages in Biden's voice were generated to get in the way of the 2024 presidential election, but the state attorney general's office denounced the calls as disinformation.

Rosenworcel's proposal seeks to ban robocalls under the TCPA, a 1991 law that regulates automated political and marketing calls made without the recipient's consent. The primary goal of the TCPA is to protect consumers from unwanted and intrusive communications, such as unsolicited telemarketing calls and automated messages.

Today we announced a proposal to make AI-generated robocalls illegal, giving attorneys general new tools to crack down on voice cloning scams and protect consumers.

The increase in these calls has skyrocketed in recent years; Technology is now able to trick consumers by imitating the voices of celebrities, political figures and even family members.

By implementing this proposal, the FCC will provide attorneys general across the country with additional resources to pursue those responsible for these malicious calls and enforce legal consequences.

In November 2023, the FCC initiated a notice of investigation to gather information regarding the handling of illegal stolen calls and the potential involvement of AI. The agency asked about AI's role in scams, imitating familiar voices, and whether it should be regulated under the TCPA. Additionally, the FCC wanted to know how AI can be used in a positive way, for example to recognize and prevent illegal robocalls.

The briefing document noted "substantial progress" in the president's mandate to "protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems."

Deepfakes have raised concerns about AI-generated content, with the World Economic Forum highlighting the adverse outcomes of AI technologies in its 19th Global Risks Report. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service - Canada's main national intelligence agency - has also expressed concern about disinformation campaigns carried out on the Internet using AI deepfakes.

Following the widespread dissemination of explicit fake photos of celebrities, US lawmakers have urged legislation to criminalize the production of deepfake images.