The United States Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco has instructed federal prosecutors to impose harsher penalties on cybercriminals using AI in their illegal activities, as noted by Monaco.

Monaco emphasised the need to prioritise AI in law enforcement efforts, highlighting the potential dangers associated with its malicious use. Drawing a parallel to the stricter penalties for individuals using firearms to facilitate crimes, she suggested that similar considerations should apply to those employing AI in criminal activities.

Additionally, Monaco mentioned the Justice Department's scrutiny of how to integrate AI responsibly without compromising privacy or civil rights, stressing the importance of establishing appropriate safeguards for the technology.

Monaco's remarks come just days after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlawed AI-generated voice cloning in robocalls, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggested a revised rule that should deem it unlawful for firms, particularly AI platforms generating images, video, or text, to provide goods or services that they know or have reason to believe are being used to harm consumers through impersonation.