Krishnamoorthi Seeks Answers from State Department on AI Deepfake Targeting Secretary Rubio
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting answers about an apparent AI-generated deepfake campaign that impersonated the Secretary in outreach to high-ranking government officials. Using this incident as a warning, the letter also highlights the threat posed by the CCP’s misuse of deepfake and other generative AI technologies.
Earlier this year, during a Select Committee hearing on CCP cyber threats, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi demonstrated the potential dangers of deepfakes by deploying a “Deepfake Raja” to illustrate how bad actors could impersonate senior leaders to sow confusion and damage U.S. interests. Recent news reports suggest this threat has now materialized, with impostors reportedly using AI to mimic Secretary Rubio’s voice and writing style in communications with at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator, and a governor.
In his letter, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi writes:
“It is particularly important to understand how deepfakes could be utilized to harm our national security, including by creating fake diplomatic incidents and even distorting decision-making during times of conflict. Given the CCP’s efforts to dominate artificial intelligence, these are not possibilities that should be dismissed lightly in the context of countries like China.”
The letter asks the State Department to provide details about the incident, describe its efforts to prevent AI-enabled impersonations of senior officials, and explain how it is monitoring and mitigating risks posed by CCP-backed generative AI technologies. The letter also specifically asks whether the State Department has considered adopting content authentication or provenance protocols to help avoid future incidents.
“This incident is a wake-up call,” Krishnamoorthi added. “Whether or not a foreign state was behind this specific hoax, it highlights how advanced these technologies have become — and how urgent it is to harden our defenses against them, especially at a time when China is investing heavily in deepfakes and generative AI.”
The full text of the letter is available here.