In her endorsement post (pictured with her cat), Swift emphasized her concerns for LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive care, and IVF, and encouraged fans to visit her Instagram story, where she provided a link for voter registration.

Swift Cites AI Misinformation as Key Reason for Public Endorsement of Kamala Harris

Taylor Swift announced on Tuesday that she plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, partly in response to AI-generated images falsely showing her endorsing Donald Trump. Swift revealed in an Instagram post that these AI images, posted on Trump’s website, sparked her concerns about the dangers of AI spreading misinformation, prompting her to clarify her actual voting intentions. She emphasized that combating misinformation requires transparency and truth.

The incident, as noted in theverge.com, that prompted Swift’s statement occurred in late August when Trump posted a collection of images on Truth Social, including AI-generated photos of Swift endorsing him, with one showing her in a patriotic Uncle Sam-style image saying, “Taylor wants YOU to vote for Donald Trump.” Swift directly addressed the false endorsement in her post, while also speaking out about key issues she cares about, such as LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive care, and IVF. She encouraged her fans to register to vote by sharing a link on her Instagram story.

Swift’s concerns align with growing fears around the abuse of AI tools in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election. Generative AI has been increasingly used in misleading ways, as seen earlier this year when fake AI-generated robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden discouraged voters in New Hampshire from participating in the state’s primary election. Such incidents have raised alarms about the potential for widespread misinformation as the election approaches.

In response to the risks posed by AI-generated content, some companies, like Google, have introduced stricter restrictions on their AI tools to prevent election-related misinformation. This isn’t the first time AI-generated images of Swift have circulated; earlier in the year, nonconsensual sexualized AI images of her were shared on X, prompting the White House to call for legislative action to address such abuses of AI technology.

read more at theverge.com