An artificial intelligence (AI) bot replicated the voice of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the way he writes in order to target high-ranking officials both domestically and internationally.
The State Department said the impersonator tried to obtain sensitive information by contacting a sitting member of Congress, a U.S. governor, along with three foreign ministers.
Starting in mid-June 2025, the campaign utilized AI-powered text as well as voice messages that accurately mimicked the personality of Rubio.
To get in touch with the authorities, the criminal established a false Signal account. As stated by the authorities, the objective was to exert pressure on these key individuals and possibly endanger sensitive information or accounts.
In response, office of Marco Rubio released a cable alerting State Department staff about the impersonation attempts of AI bot and recommending heightened awareness.
To seek exactly where the impersonation originated from and whether any data was compromised, the State Department has opened an investigation. After the incident, the FBI has not yet provided any comments.
The Washington Post was informed by a senior U.S. official that “this is a new frontier in deception.” The official underlined that the high level of sophistication of the technology employed in this instance raised worries about the threats to national security posed by the ease with which reliable voices can be imitated.
