- An AI-generated image from a Truth Social post shared by Trump on Sunday showed a fake picture of Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, including the text Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.
- Swift has made no endorsements in this year’s U.S. presidential race. Her spokesman did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
OUR TAKE
Undoubtedly the move brought a fair degree of heat to Trump, but it has long been unclear what the rise of artificial intelligence means for the election. The act of having celebrities campaigning for politicians is in itself inexcusable, but the misuse of AI technology will ultimately lay the groundwork for the coming days. The relevant authorities should move on from this matter and regulate the use of AI.
— Iydia Ding, BTW reporter
What happened
Just before the start of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Trump retweeted a photo of Taylor Swift in an Uncle Sam costume and accepted her endorsement of his campaign, which she has never given. One of the images Trump shared included a small sarcastic hashtag, although he did not clarify whether his post was in jest.
Some of the images and videos Trump shared were cartoonish or obviously fake. However, the rise of AI-generated content on political social media is worrying experts, who say it could be used to promote more sinister and credible disinformation. As fake images, videos and audio clips created by generative AI models begin to saturate social media, they also threaten to erode people’s trust in what they see and hear.
Some members of Congress have pushed for legislation to regulate the use of AI-generated images in politics, but none has come close to passing. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed requiring political advertisers to disclose their use of AI in TV and radio adverts, but such a rule would not affect social media platforms.
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Why it’s important
Before Trump shared fake Swift images, his supporters had been creating and posting their own AI-generated videos and images. Trump supporters often use AI-generated images to create social media posts and mods, some of which were shared by the former president.
Political activists have long worried about what the rise of AI means for elections, and while some social media companies have rules for flagging AI-generated content, they are not always followed. Harris spokesman did not respond to questions about Trump’s use of AI-generated images. Across platforms, misleading and lifelike images of Trump and Harris racked up millions of views, with some users not realising what they were seeing was fake.
The move involving Taylor Swift has undoubtedly brought a fair degree of heat to Trump, and while the act of having a celebrity promote a politician is not in itself wrong, the misuse of AI technology can ultimately lay the groundwork for the future. The relevant authorities should move on from this and tighten up the regulation of AI use.
