999 call handler’s voice cloned by AI as part of Russian disinformation campaign

999 call handler’s voice cloned by AI for use in Russian disinformation campaign Source: BBC

Transcript

00:00Why would it be me that they've chosen out of all those thousands of videos that are

00:03out there on Facebook and Instagram?

00:05This is Aaron, a 999 call operator at Northwest Ambulance Service in Preston.

00:10He seems an unlikely target for a Russian influence operation, but he is one of a handful

00:14of British public sector workers whose identity has been used to spread disinformation.

00:19It all started with a social video to raise awareness about emergency services during

00:23the Easter holiday.

00:24Hello, my name's Aaron, I'm an emergency medical advisor in one of the 999 control

00:28rooms for the ambulance service.

00:30The video was then used to create this AI fake using Aaron's voice.

00:34I have many friends who are paramedics in Poland and all these specialists say one thing, they

00:38are terrified of the upcoming election because of the terrorist threats.