Defending against AI vote cloning attacks on election integrity

Levine is an election integrity and election management consultant who works to ensure that eligible voters can cast their ballots, that free and fair elections are perceived as legitimate, and that electoral processes are properly conducted and secured.

Imagine it’s election day. You’re about to vote when you get a call from an official telling you to vote at an early voting location rather than your election day polling place. So you go there, but find that the polling place is closed. It turns out that the call didn’t come from the official, but from a replica created using vote cloning technology.

This may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but many voters in New Hampshire experienced something similar two days before the 2024 presidential primary. They received robocalls with a deepfake that simulates the voice of President Joe Biden and prevents them from participating in the primaries.

While there is no indication that the fake Biden robocalls had any discernible impact on the New Hampshire primary, the incident is a stark reminder of the growing threat through tactics like these, which are increasingly being used by evil actors about elections not only in the USA, but also in Slovakia, Argentina And elsewhere.

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As artificial intelligence becomes more accessible and affordable, deepfake attacks (of which vote cloning is just one example) are becoming more common. How can voters protect themselves from similar attacks to ensure they make an informed decision in the November general election? Here are a few tips:

1.Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers: When you answer a call from an unknown number, the chances of falling for a scam increase. Moreover, when you answer a call from an unknown number and speak, a scammer can record your voice and use it to create cloned scam calls to deceive your family members and friends.