Former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump has come under fire after sharing manipulated images on the Truth Social platform that falsely suggest pop star Taylor Swift and her fans are backing his 2024 presidential campaign. The posts, which were widely criticised, included digitally altered photos that many believe were created using artificial intelligence.
In one post, Trump shared an image of Swift fans sporting t-shirts with the slogan “Swifties for Trump” and added the caption “I accept!”
The post, which appeared to include a satirical label, suggested that Swift’s fanbase was shifting their support toward Trump, especially following recent events in Vienna, where Swift had to cancel several concerts due to a potential security threat linked to the Islamic State group.
Another image reposted by Trump was a reimagined version of a World War I recruitment poster, with Swift’s face replacing Uncle Sam’s and urging people to vote for Trump. According to BBC, two of the women featured in these images are actual Trump supporters.
The posts ignited outrage among Swift’s dedicated fanbase, known as Swifties, who accused Trump of disseminating false information. Swift has not endorsed any candidate for the upcoming election, though she has a history of supporting Democratic candidates and was vocal in her criticism of Trump during his presidency, particularly during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Lawsuit Against Deepfake Sites
In related news, San Francisco has taken legal action against several deepfake websites accused of creating non-consensual and manipulated nude images of women and girls. The lawsuit targets 16 of the most popular sites, which collectively have seen over 200 million visits in the first half of 2024. These sites allow users to upload photos of clothed individuals, which are then altered by AI to produce fake nude images.
The city’s legal action underscores the dangers posed by such technology, as these sites have been criticised for trivialising the exploitation of individuals.
This controversy is not the first instance of AI-generated content causing a stir in the political arena, and it raises ongoing concerns about the spread of misinformation and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.