Deepfakes are becoming a reputational crisis for public figures

A high-level digital deception recently triggered alarms inside the U.S. government. A Signal account, created using the name of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, contacted senior officials —including foreign ministers, a governor, and a member of Congress — with AI-generated audio that convincingly imitated Rubio’s voice.

This was not a prank or a political stunt. It was a clear warning about how easily trust can be exploited when artificial intelligence is used to impersonate public figures.

The incident is one of the clearest signs yet that synthetic media is crossing from novelty to threat. With just a few voice clips and an AI tool, individuals can now impersonate anyone. That opens the door to a wave of reputational attacks that are more personal, more precise, and more damaging than anything we have seen before.

Just imagine the consequences if impersonators used AI to release “leaked” audio of a Fortune 500 CEO admitting to fraud. The company’s stock could plunge. Markets could react before anyone verifies whether the audio is real. The harm would spread far beyond the targeted individual. Financial consequences could be immediate and severe, affecting investors, employees, and customers alike.

The risk is not limited to CEOs. Celebrities could be placed at the center of manufactured scandals. Activists could be misrepresented to discredit their work. High-ranking military officials or government leaders could be impersonated to create confusion or even incite conflict. In the past, reputational threats typically stemmed from real-world controversies, genuine leaks, or controversial remarks. Now, they can be fabricated entirely from data.

Because this technology is so convincing, the damage can be done long before the truth catches up.

These developments are forcing companies, campaigns, and public institutions to reconsider how they protect their reputations. Communications teams are beginning to plan for scenarios involving synthetic content, audio or video that appears authentic but is entirely false. Responding to these threats will require not only rapid communication but also new methods for verifying and disproving digital content.

Some governments are starting to take this challenge seriously. Denmark recently passed a law that gives individuals copyright over their own voice and likeness. This legal recognition allows people to challenge the unauthorized use of their identity in synthetic content. It also sends a message: deepfakes are not harmless entertainment. They are potentially dangerous tools that require accountability.

In the U.S., legal protections remain limited. Although some states have taken steps to address deepfakes in specific contexts, there is no comprehensive national framework. As AI continues to advance, legislation will need to evolve as well. Clear standards and enforceable protections can help prevent reputational sabotage before it happens.

This is not about slowing innovation. AI offers meaningful benefits in areas like education, medicine, and accessibility. Voice synthesis, in particular, has the potential to enhance communication for people with disabilities and to bridge language barriers. But when those same tools are used to deceive, they carry consequences that reach beyond any one person or organization.

At a time when public trust is already fragile, the spread of synthetic misinformation could make it even harder to know what is real. The result is not just personal damage but broader confusion and cynicism. If people cannot trust what they hear or see, they may stop trusting altogether.

The Rubio deepfake offers a glimpse of what is coming. It is not an isolated event. It is part of a growing pattern that includes cloned voices used in scams, manipulated videos shared to mislead, and AI-generated content that can upend reputations in a matter of hours.

There is still time to respond. Public figures can take steps to secure their digital identities. Platforms can invest in better detection and disclosure tools. Policymakers can study models like Denmark’s and begin crafting laws that protect against identity misuse in the AI era.

Reputation is hard to build and easy to lose. In the age of AI, protecting it has never been more urgent.

Evan Nierman is CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan and author of “Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line.”