WASHINGTON — While fake videos of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris spread across social media but fail to capture much interest, state officials are girding for what they consider a far more dangerous deception days before the US presidential election — deepfake robocalls.

Officials in states from Arizona to Vermont are preparing for fake audio messages piped directly to home and mobile phones and out of public view, a concern exacerbated by rapidly advancing generative AI technology.

And unlike AI-generated photos and videos, which often have small, telltale signs of manipulation such as an extra finger on a person's hand, it is more difficult for the average voter to spot a fake phone call, experts said.

Ahead of the Nov 5 election that pits Harris against Republican Donald Trump, election officials are on alert given early examples of such calls. In January, a robocall impersonating US President Joe Biden circulated in New Hampshire, urging Democrats to stay home during the primary and "save your vote for the November election". The political consultant behind the robocall was fined US$6 million (S$7.9 million) in September.

Related

---