AI Startup ElevenLabs Suspected in Deepfake Biden Robocall

The company, recently valued at $1.1 billion, offers voice-cloning services that may have been used for political propaganda, raising concerns ahead of the 2024 elections.

AI voice-cloning startup ElevenLabs is suspected of being the source of a deepfake robocall impersonating President Joe Biden, according to analyses by security company Pindrop and UC Berkeley.
ElevenLabs recently raised $80 million in a funding round, reaching a valuation of $1.1 billion, and markets its AI tools for uses like audiobooks and video games.
The robocall urged voters in New Hampshire not to participate in the state's primary election, raising concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology in political propaganda.
ElevenLabs offers a service where anyone can clone a voice from an audio sample, and its safety policy suggests that permissionless cloning can be acceptable for non-commercial purposes, including political speech.
Despite the potential for identifying the source of AI-generated robocalls, experts warn that authorities, the tech industry, and the public are underprepared for the potential misuse of such technology in the upcoming 2024 election season.