State Department conducts investigation after AI was used to impersonate Marco Rubio
NEW YORK (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - The State Department is conducting an investigation after artificial intelligence (AI) was used to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to a cable obtained by CBS News, fake messages were sent to at least five government officials, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress.
It's not clear who's behind this, but it's raising urgent new concerns about national security.
In a briefing Tuesday, the State Department shared few details after news broke Secretary Rubio was targeted by an AI deepfake.
According to a July 3 State Department alert, a fake account was created on Signal, a free encrypted messaging app which has been used by White House administration officials.
The account appeared in mid-June with the display name marco.Rubio@state.gov.
The alert said it contacted at least five officials and left AI-generated voicemails for at least two, and "in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal."
"Government officials have to remember, this is why you should use secure government platforms," said Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and a technology expert.
The State Department warns the likely intent of the alleged imposter was to gain access to sensitive information and manipulate the recipient.
"If Marco Rubio calls someone up and the person believes they're talking to Marco Rubio, or even if they get a voice message from Marco Rubio, and it says, 'The policy of the United States is this, but that's not actually the policy of the United States.' That's a big problem," Thompson remarked.
The Rubio deepfake follows other high-level officials facing AI-driven impersonation. In May, someone pretended to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
AI imposters, though, go beyond national security, Last month, CBS News reported on the surge in everyday AI scams.
"AI has blurred the line between what it is to be human and machine," said Vijay Balasubramaniyan, CEO of Pindrop Security, a company who detects AI fraud.
Balasubramaniyan says they've seen a 900% increase in AI scams in two years.
"We're seeing elder abuse, we're seeing account takeovers, we're seeing hiring scams," Balasubramaniyan explained.
Even scarier, AI deepfakes are easy to make. In less than 10 minutes, his team made an audio one of CBS News correspondent Kelly O'Grady.
The State Department told CBS News it is investigating the incident involving Rubio and "continuously takes steps to improve the department's cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents."
