DOJ says they can’t share Biden-Harris interview because of AI deepfake threat.
President Biden has found himself in the midst of a legal battle as the Justice Department fights against releasing the audio recording of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. The DOJ cited the potential threat of deepfakes as the reason for withholding the audio in a recent court filing.
According to the filing, there is already significant public audio of both Biden and Hur available, making it easier for malicious actors to create AI deepfakes. The DOJ argued that releasing the authentic recording could make it more challenging to disprove any false versions that may surface in the future.
Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer emphasized the risks posed by advancements in audio manipulation and deepfake technologies, stating that releasing the tape could lead to the spread of altered, but authentic-looking, recordings.
Biden’s administration is currently facing pressure from conservative legal groups and House Republicans to release the audio, despite already having made the transcript of the interview public. The transcript unveiled several uncomfortable moments for the president, including instances where he struggled to recall key details about his life.
Special Counsel Hur’s report, released earlier this year, portrayed Biden as a forgetful yet well-meaning elderly man. The report pointed out Biden’s difficulty in remembering crucial information, such as the years he served as vice president and the date of his son Beau Biden’s death.
In response to the report, Biden expressed his outrage and got entangled in contradicting statements about the interview. He falsely claimed that Hur had initiated the discussion about Beau’s death, while the transcript clearly indicated otherwise.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., criticized Biden’s efforts to exert executive privilege over the recording, suggesting that the content of the audio likely aligns with Hur’s findings and could potentially alarm the public.
Some Republicans have raised concerns about the authenticity of the transcript, speculating that it may have been edited to protect Biden from embarrassment. Weinsheimer, however, refuted these claims, asserting that only minor adjustments, such as removing repeated words and filler words, were made to the transcript.
As the legal battle over the audio recording continues, the public remains eager to uncover the contents of Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur and the implications it may hold for the president’s administration.
