‘Just stop with the deflection’: DOJ under fire for citing fear of AI tampering to prevent release of Joe Biden-Robert Hur audio

WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of Justice doubled down on its opposition to the release of audio recordings from President Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur.

In an overnight court filing on Friday, May 31, the DOJ came up with its last fight to prevent the release of the audio, citing the possibility of "deep fakes," according to Politico.

"The passage of time and advancements in audio, artificial intelligence, and 'deep fake' technologies only amplify concerns about malicious manipulation of audio files. If the audio recording is released here, it is easy to foresee that it could be improperly altered and that the altered file could be passed off as an authentic recording and widely distributed," the Justice Department said in a 49-page filing.

In May, Biden used his executive privilege to block the release of the audio recordings, claiming the Republicans wanted it "to chop them up."

DOJ argues 'malicious actors' could tamper the audio

Besides the possibility of making Biden's deepfakes, Bradley Weinsheimer, an associate deputy attorney general at DOJ, argued the audio recording could pose a "substantial risk that malicious actors could alter the recording to (for example) insert words that President Biden did not say or delete words that he did say."

Furthermore, the Justice Department claimed it "would harm substantial privacy interests".

In the special counsel report published in February, Hur found that Biden wilfully withheld classified materials but did not impose any charges against the president, whom he described as an "elderly man with a poor memory".

The House Republicans, adamant about obtaining the recordings, passed a resolution to censure Attorney General Merrick Garland last month. Still, it remains unsure if the GOP has enough votes to pass the resolution.

Although the transcripts were already published, GOP lawmakers demanded that they could find additional details from the president's tone or pauses during the interview to benefit the ongoing impeachment probe.

However, in the court filing, Weinsheimer dismissed the notion that the transcript and the audio accurately matched "except for minor instances".

Internet criticizes DOJ over its refusal to release Joe Biden's interview tapes

Social media users accused the Justice Department of trying to cover up for Biden by citing AI tampering concerns to push back against the release of the special counsel interview tapes.

One user wrote, "Just stop with the AI deflection. This audio should be released, withholding it has nothing to do with AI fears."

"So DOJ knows it’s getting leaking and is seeding the AI deepfake cover story now," another argued.

A third user added, "Oh, so now if it is ever shown to us they will just say AI screwed it up. Really?"

A fourth response read, "The DOJ fears Americans hearing the real audio. If they want the real one heard they should release it instead of hiding it."

"DOJ is covering Biden up," someone else claimed.

An individual said, "Typical running interference, an explanation in advance for the truth to be revealed!"

Another user added, "Setting the stage for excuse-fest 2024. 'It's the fault of AI!!!' Issue here is…everything a dem does or says,will use this as a defense."

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