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There was a brief but important mention of artificial intelligence (AI) from President Joseph R. Biden in his annual State of the Union address before Congress and televised widely to the American people live last night, Thursday, March 7, 2024.
According to the full transcript of the speech as delivered posted by CBS News, Biden called upon lawmakers to:
“Pass bipartisan privacy legislation to protect our children online.
Harness the promise of A.I. and protect us from its peril.
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Ban A.I. voice impersonation and more!”
The call to “ban A.I. voice impersonation” is an interesting focus on one particular way generative AI is currently being used, voice cloning, with proprietary solutions from ElevenLabs and open-source ones from myShell already available on the market.
However, Biden himself of course has a direct interest in the technology given his voice was impersonated as part of a robocall effort in New Hampshire ahead of its January 23, 2024 primary election, urging callers not to vote. The New Hampshire Attorney General hired Industry Traceback Group to trace the calls back to Texas-based Life Corporation and its owner Walter Monk, as well as another company, Lingo Telecom. In early February, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency that oversees telecommunications in the country, issued a cease-and-desist letter to Lingo.
The big question following Biden’s remarks: where does this ElevenLabs, myShell, and other companies offering similar solutions? And will Congress move to pass legislation that bans the tech?
Watch the full State of the Union 2024 address below:
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