Impersonation Scandal: AI Voice Mimicry Targets Diplomats

An individual impersonating Secretary of State Marco Rubio used an artificially generated voice to contact three foreign ministers and two U.S. officials, as revealed by a diplomatic cable viewed by Reuters. The attempts aimed to manipulate targets into divulging sensitive information through AI-generated texts and voice messages.

The incident, first reported by The Washington Post, is under investigation by the U.S. State Department. Officials are strengthening their cybersecurity measures and warning about digital impersonation risks following similar incidents previously linked to Russian hackers.

The cable detailed this deceitful act's potential to expose information via compromised third-party interactions. Although the perpetrator remains unnamed, parallels are drawn with past phishing campaigns linked to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

(With inputs from agencies.)