DOJ cites AI deepfakes as reason to withhold Hur interview audio
The Department of Justice is withholding President Joe Biden‘s interview audio with former special counsel Robert Hur due to fears that it will be altered by artificial intelligence, according to a court filing.
CNN, the Heritage Foundation, and Judicial Watch, among others, have all been denied Freedom of Information Act requests for the audio and have subsequently filed suit against the Justice Department. In response, it issued a court filing Friday night to explain why it won’t release the audio from Hur’s interview with Biden.
“Disclosure of that record is unwarranted,” the filing reads. “Release of the audio recording would threaten critical law enforcement interests by chilling the potential cooperation of witnesses in current and future sensitive investigations. In addition, disclosure would constitute a significant invasion of privacy. … These privacy harms are amplified by the threat of malicious manipulation of audio files that has recently become much more acute.”
Deepfake audio is achievable among public figures who already have catalogs of content featuring their voices. Additionally, deepfakes could include slowing down audio or removing words in order to distort the intended meaning of the speaker.
According to the department, once the public is aware that the audio is released, it will encourage malicious actors to create distorted audio clips. Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer filed an affidavit to express his concerns about releasing the audio.
🚨WHITE HOUSE ADMITS THEY DOCTORED BIDEN’S CRIMINAL TRANSCRIPT🚨
After being forced into Federal court by us, the White House admits they altered evidence to make Biden appear less incompetent
This case has been blown wide open https://t.co/lVHs5w4wPX pic.twitter.com/5xtIsPcVTV
— Oversight Project (@ItsYourGov) June 1, 2024