Man threatens to shoot St. Charles County church using AI voice generator - KSDK

A man is facing charges for allegedly using an AI voice generator to threaten a church in St. Charles County, Missouri. The incident led to the cancellation of church activities and prompted a police investigation.

What happened

On May 11, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contacted police after receiving a threatening phone call. The church member believed the voice on the other end was AI-generated, making statements that church members would "burn in Hell". After the church member hung up, a subsequent call from a private number featured the same AI voice, repeating similar threats before being replaced by a different voice threatening to "shoot up" the church. The phone number associated with the initial call belonged to a man named Gipson, who had previously expressed interest in joining the church. Gipson was charged with harassment and making a terroristic threat. The church had already canceled Tuesday activities and were planning to cancel Sunday services.