According to a State Department official, the agency is looking into instances where one or more individuals employed artificial intelligence to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio in communications with high-ranking foreign diplomats and American officials.
Last week, State Department staff received a cable, or agency memo, from Mr. Rubio’s office on the attempts to impersonate him.
The department’s press office released a statement from a senior official on Tuesday in response to questions regarding the cable and the episodes, stating that the agency was aware of the event and was looking into it.
According to the statement, the department takes seriously its obligation to protect its data and works constantly to strengthen its cybersecurity posture in order to avert similar breaches in the future.
At least five individuals outside the State Department received voice and text messages from the person or people posing as Mr. Rubio, including using the encrypted chat software Signal. The cable, which was first reported by The Washington Post, stated that the recipients included three foreign ministers, a governor, and a member of Congress. The date on the cable was July 3.
Numerous websites display Mr. Rubio’s voice and demeanor. He frequently appears on television, participates in news conferences, and has numerous picture chances where he converses with other diplomats. He was a senator from Florida until being appointed secretary of state this year. He was a regular speaker at congressional hearings and other public events, including when he challenged Donald J. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
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