(The Center Square) — A Texas man will pay more fines after using an AI-generated copy of then-President Joe Biden’s voice that urged New Hampshire Democrats not to vote in the 2024 presidential primary.
The ruling by U.S. District Court judge Steven J. McAuliffe accepted a special magistrate’s report and recommendations that previously ordered Steve Kramer to pay $7,500 in damages with post-judgment interest to each of the three individual plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit. The judge ordered a default judgment against Kramer, who has refused to participate in the court proceedings.
The League of Women Voters, one of several groups that signed onto the lawsuit, praised the ruling and said it will prevent unscrupulous groups and individuals from using the technology to spread lies and misinformation.
“This victory sends a clear message: the right to vote is sacred, and new technology will not be a shield for those who seek to suppress it,” Liz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, said in a statement. “The court’s decision affirms that deceptive, AI-generated robocalls designed to intimidate and confuse voters are a direct assault on our democracy and will not be tolerated.”
Kramer, of New Orleans, admitted generating a message sent to thousands of New Hampshire voters two days before the state’s Jan. 23, 2024, presidential primary. The message urged voters not to vote in the primary. Biden wasn’t on the New Hampshire ballot, because of a dispute between the state and national party over the primary date, but his supporters had organized a write-in campaign on his behalf.
“It’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” the recorded message told voters in Biden’s voice. “Your votes make a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
In court, Kramer testified that the recording was a publicity stunt intended to highlight the potential harms of artificial intelligence platforms to political communication. He argued that because Biden wasn’t on the New Hampshire primary ballot, there was no harm done to the defendants.
A jury in a criminal trial held in June acquitted Kramer of 11 felony voter suppression charges, each of which was punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Lingo Telecom, the company that transmitted the robocalls, agreed to pay $1 million in a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission last year. Kramer was fined $6 million by the FCC but has told media outlets that he won’t pay the fine.
The federal court ruling comes as Congress considers a bill that would allow the Trump administration to preempt state regulations on artificial intelligence.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of attorneys general from New Hampshire and 35 other states sent a letter to Congress opposing the plan, warning of the rising online harm and the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
“If Congress is serious about grappling with how AI’s emergence creates opportunities and challenges for our safety and well-being, then the states look forward to working with you on a substantive effort,” they wrote.
