‘It is shocking that the social media platform even let them be up to begin with’
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Taylor Swift fans are lashing out after fake pornographic and nude images of the singer that have been generated using AI flooded social media this week.
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According to NBC News, the images were seen at least 27 million times and generated 260,000 likes on X before the platform began removing them. The pictures were also reportedly found on Facebook, Instagram and Reddit.
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“I’ve repeatedly warned that AI could be used to generate non-consensual intimate imagery,” wrote Democratic Virginia Senator Mark Warner on X. “This is a deplorable situation, and I’m going to keep pushing on AI companies to stop this horrible capability and on platforms to stop their circulation.”
The deepfake images purportedly depict Swift in various sexualized positions wearing Kansas City Chiefs gear — the team her boyfriend Travis Kelce plays for.
According to NBC, Reality Defender, an AI-detection software company, went through the images and concluded that “there was a high likelihood that they were created with AI technology.”
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“Taylor Swift AI” and “Taylor Swift” were both trending on X, but Swifties quickly banded together to blast the images and flood the site with positive posts praising the hitmaker.
“When I saw the Taylor Swift AI pictures, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Those AI pictures are disgusting,” one person wrote.
“Protect her, don’t missuse tech. Taylor Swift AI is as disgusting as hell Please PROTECT TAYLOR SWIFT,” wrote another.
“I hope there’s a place in hell specially reserved for people who thinks making explicit photos of women is OK and acceptable. I hope that hell is scary and torturous,” a third added.
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According to the Daily Mail, the Grammy winner is furious over the pictures and is considering taking legal action.
“Whether or not legal action will be taken is being decided but there is one thing that is clear: these fake AI generated images are abusive, offensive, exploitative and done without Taylor’s consent and/or knowledge,” a source close to the singer tells the outlet.
“Taylor’s circle of family and friends are furious, as are her fans obviously. They have the right to be, and every woman should be,” the insider continues. “The door needs to be shut on this. Legislation needs to be passed to prevent this and laws must be enacted.”
The Verge reported the images, which circulated for nearly a full day, were traced back to an account operating under the handle @FloridaPigMan. The page has since been shut down.
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“It is shocking that the social media platform even let them be up to begin with,” a source close to Swift added to the Daily Mail.
Distributing deepfake pornography is illegal in several U.S. states. It also violates X’s terms of use.
In November, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on artificial intelligence after watching Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning.
According to the Associated Press, Biden was spurred on to try and legislate limits on the use of AI after watching the summer blockbuster at Camp David. Already unnerved by “fake AI images of himself, of his dog” and “the incredible and terrifying technology of voice cloning,” the movie’s villainous AI, “the Entity,” scared him even more.
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“(AI) can take three seconds of your voice and turn it into an entire fake conversation,” said deputy White House chief of staff Bruce Reed. “If he hadn’t already been concerned about what could go wrong with AI before that movie, he saw plenty more to worry about.”
Last spring, an AI-generated pic of Selena Gomez went viral on social media and fooled millions
The image — which was viewed more than 24 million times and generated over 404,600 likes on X — showed what appeared to be Gomez attending the Met Gala wearing a blue, one-shoulder dress.
X later added an advisory to the post, writing, “Selena Gomez did not attend the 2023 Met Gala and has not attended the Met Gala since 2018. These are altered images of Lily James at the 2022 Met Gala.”
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On Instagram, pop culture site Pop Factions ranked the most-liked photos of celebrities who attended this year’s event and Gomez’s fake appearance came out on top.
“This is scary because these fake images are getting so good and believable. She wasn’t even there,” one person worriedly wrote, while another asked, “Why on earth have so many people fallen for fake news and a fake picture?”
Fans have also been duped by AI that generated a fake song that went viral on TikTok after it supposedly featured Drake and The Weeknd collaborating together.
Milla Sofia, an AI-generated influencer, has also amassed more than 137,000 fans on social media.
I am a “24-year old virtual girl living in Helsinki,” her Instagram bio reads. “I’m an AI creation.”
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In June the so-called “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton quit his role at Google so he could more freely speak about the dangers of the AI technology he helped create.
“It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things,” Hinton told the New York Times.
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