Washington, DC – The US State Department has launched an investigation into an imposter who allegedly used artificial intelligence to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and contact at least three foreign ministers.
The “unknown actor” is accused of using an AI-generated voice of Rubio to contact officials via the Signal messaging app, according to a State Department cable obtained by the BBC’s US partner CBS News. The cable, dated July 3, stated that the individual contacted at least five people, including the foreign ministers, a US governor, and a member of Congress.
The State Department confirmed it is aware of the incident and is taking steps to enhance its cybersecurity defences.
Details of the Impersonation Attempt
The incident was initially revealed in the State Department cable sent to “all diplomatic and consular posts,” CBS News reported. According to the cable, a fake Signal account was created in mid-June with the display name marco.rubio@state.gov. This account then contacted at least five individuals.
“The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals, and in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal,” the cable stated, as reported by CBS. The cable did not identify the individuals contacted or the content of the AI-generated voicemails.
While the cable noted there was “no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign,” it warned that “information shared with a third party could be exposed if targeted individuals are compromised.”
Broader Concerns Over AI Misuse
The incident was first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday. The newspaper indicated that US authorities do not know who was behind the impersonations but believe the perpetrator’s goal was to manipulate powerful government officials to gain access to information. The Associated Press, citing an anonymous US official, reported that the hoaxes were unsuccessful and “not very sophisticated.” Secretary of State Rubio has not yet commented on the incident.
This event highlights growing concerns about the misuse of AI technology in political contexts. Last year, a fake robocall, purportedly from former President Joe Biden, urged voters to skip the New Hampshire primary election ahead of the 2024 US election. Officials in New Hampshire described those calls as an “unlawful attempt to disrupt” the election and launched an investigation.
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