The AI Election: A Robocall Rumble!

You know what they say, elections and circuses have a lot in common…and in both cases, the clowns aren’t always where you expect! Well, add a dash of artificial intelligence to this mix, and bam! We have the first case of AI interfering in a US election. Voters in New Hampshire were left bewitched, bothered and bewildered by robocalls, pretending to be President Joe Biden, ordering them to stay at home. No, you’re not watching a Black Mirror episode – this actually happened. Not surprisingly, the artificial intelligentsia behind these ‘deepfake’ calls were traced back to two Texas-based companies.

Key Takeaways From This AI Election Fiasco

1) Robocalls trying to play “Hide the President”

This was arguably the first ever attempt at AI election interference. A robocall targeted New Hampshire voters, mimicking President Joe Biden, and told them to stay home, probably thinking they were playing a round of “bingo-and-hide-themselves.”

2) Trolled by AI

Yes folks, AI has officially jumped on the troll wagon. The AI-created ‘deepfake’ calls were so good, they could’ve probably fooled Watson himself (you know, that super advanced AI by IBM).

3) “Everything’s bigger in Texas” applies to AI meddling too

The nonsensical calls were traced back to two companies based in Texas – Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom. Because as Texans love to remind us, “everything’s bigger in Texas,” including, apparently, questionable AI shenanigans.

Final Thoughts

We’ve seen a lot of bonkers news in our time, folks, but this one definitely takes the toll-free number…or should we say robo-number! When even our elections start sounding like a plot from a sci-fi movie, it’s maybe time to sit back and go, “Okay, did someone accidentally press fast-forward on the future?” As we venture further into the digital age, let’s remember that with great power (read AI), comes great responsibility. Because nobody, and we mean NOBODY, has the time for an AI telemarketing call from “President Biden.”