There is still a lot we don’t know about the robocall in New Hampshire that impersonated President Joe Biden, likely using AI voice cloning technology.

The call went out on Jan. 21, two days before the primary, trying to discourage Democrats from heading to the polls. It’s not certain who was behind the call, what software was used in its creation, or how many voters got one. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office is investigating.

But it made one thing clear: The pressure is on for regulators to take action on deepfakes ahead of the election.

This story originally appeared in Digital Future Daily, POLITICO's newsletter about how technology is redefining global power. Subscribe here.

The impact of deepfakes on society — and elections particularly — has been an anxiety for years. Easy-to-use generative AI tools have recently moved it from an issue in niche areas to a top security risk across the board. Before the Biden robocall, AI deepfakes were used in attempts to disrupt elections in Slovakia and Taiwan.

Congress has taken note. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told POLITICO that as the Senate hashes out its priorities on AI legislation, there is growing recognition that tackling the use of AI in campaign ads and communications should top the list. And after explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift spread on X last week, lawmakers renewed calls for urgent legislation on the issue.

A reminder: no federal laws currently prohibit the sharing or creation of deepfakes, though several bills have been proposed in Congress and some states have passed laws to crack down on manipulated media. The Federal Election........

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