Impersonation of US Secretary of State Using Artificial Intelligence Raises Security Concerns

In an incident reflecting the escalating cyber threats associated with artificial intelligence, a cable issued by the US State Department revealed that an unknown person impersonated the voice of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio using AI voice generation technology, and contacted three foreign ministers along with American politicians, including a governor and a member of Congress, via the encrypted messaging app Signal.

According to the cable seen by Reuters, the attempt took place in mid-June 2025, where voice messages were sent in two instances and a text message in the third, with the aim of luring the victims into interaction.

The cable, dated July 3, likely aimed to manipulate the targeted individuals to obtain sensitive information or access to their accounts, through convincing content generated by artificial intelligence.

The US State Department instructed all its diplomatic missions to warn foreign partners about the growing use of these methods, especially fake accounts and identity theft.

The cable also mentioned another attempt in April, attributed to a Russian-linked hacker, targeting research centers, former officials, and activists from Eastern Europe, through emails bearing a fake domain resembling the official State Department address "@state.gov", using diplomatic symbols and logos to deceive the recipients.

This incident highlights the danger of using artificial intelligence in voice fraud and targeted cyber attacks, calling for increased vigilance from governments and individuals alike.