Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN Business) Multiple members of congress, dozens of congressional staffers and members of the intelligence community are gathering in Las Vegas this weekend to rub shoulders with hackers at Def Con, one of the world's largest hacking conferences.

Washington's embrace of the hacking community comes amid heightened awareness of the threat of cyber attacks in the wake of the 2016 US presidential election and lawmakers realizing they need to get to grips with technology, Phil Stupak, one of the organizers of Def Con's A.I. Village told CNN Business before the conference began.

On Friday, the chair of the Democratic National Committee appeared in a deepfake video that was shown here. Deepfakes are videos made using artificial intelligence that can make people appear to do or say things they never did. The deepfake was made with the cooperation of the DNC as a demonstration to warn about what could possibly happen to a candidate in 2020 election.

JUST WATCHED Dem Party deepfaked own chairman to highlight concerns Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Dem Party deepfaked own chairman to highlight concerns 02:26

Hackers here are also demonstrating potential vulnerabilities in voting machines used by Americans. The convention's election village includes a room full of voting equipment where hackers can let loose.

Speaking to CNN Business after visiting the village on Friday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said no voting equipment should be connected to the internet. "This is basically like putting American ballot boxes on the streets of Moscow," Wyden said.

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