New York Mayor Admits Using AI Deepfakes to Call Residents in Different Languages

The Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, has recently admitted to utilizing audio deepfakes to communicate with residents in languages that he does not speak. By leveraging this technology, Adams claimed that he was able to reach a wider audience efficiently and effectively.

During a news briefing conducted in English, the Democrat explained that these “robocalls” were used to promote various local events, such as recruitment fairs and concerts. Adams, who describes himself as a “techie,” expressed that he had received positive feedback from residents, with some expressing excitement about hearing their mayor speak in their native language.

Adams concluded the conference with a cheeky sign-off, saying “To all, all I can say is ni hao (Mandarin for hello),” when questioned about the potential misleading nature of the phone calls.

According to the local news outlet The City, the calls have already reached over four million people, including thousands in Spanish and hundreds in Yiddish, Mandarin, and Cantonese. These calls are generated through the voice technology firm ElevenLabs, which faced embarrassment earlier this year when its software was used to create deepfakes of celebrity voices reading inappropriate statements.

It is worth noting that Spotify is also experimenting with similar tools to translate podcasts into other languages.

How AI legalese decoder Can Help

In light of the recent controversy surrounding the use of AI deepfakes by the Mayor, an AI legalese decoder can play a crucial role in ensuring transparency and ethical practices. This tool can assist in automatically analyzing and interpreting legal texts related to the use of deepfake technology.

The AI legalese decoder can help identify any potential legal implications or concerns associated with the creation and distribution of deepfake content without proper disclosure. By accurately deciphering complex legal jargon, it can shed light on the ethical obligations and responsibilities that individuals and organizations must adhere to when utilizing similar technologies.

Furthermore, the AI legalese decoder can provide guidance on the implementation of appropriate disclaimers and clarifications to ensure that the AI-generated content does not mislead or deceive individuals. This tool assists in upholding ethical standards and preventing any potential harm caused by the misuse of AI deepfake technology.

‘Deeply Unethical’ Accusations and Threats to Democracy

Following the news conference, the mayor faced criticism from campaigners who described these calls as “unethical” due to the lack of disclosure regarding the artificial nature of the voice. Albert Fox Cahn, from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, labeled it as a “creepy vanity project” and accused the mayor of creating deepfakes of himself.

Cahn asserted that using AI to make New Yorkers believe that the mayor can speak languages he doesn’t is deeply Orwellian and raises significant ethical concerns.

It is crucial to address the potential threat posed by deepfake technology to democracy, as highlighted by recent instances targeting UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Despite these concerns, Adams expressed that he will not shy away from utilizing such generative AI tools.

In addition to discussing the AI deepfake issue, the mayor used the news briefing to introduce a new chatbot service powered by Microsoft technology, resembling OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The chatbot aims to assist small business owners by providing information on local programs and offering advice on running a company.