Trump responds to AI-generated “Swifties for Trump” images

Donald Trump recently found himself in controversy after sharing AI-generated images of Taylor Swift on his social media platform, Truth Social. The pictures that seemingly showed Swift’s support for the ex-president have generated a lot of conversation and controversy. 

This has also raised more questions about the role of AI in political communication and Trump’s actions. On the weekend, Donald Trump reposted several images on his platform that depicted Taylor Swift as endorsing his presidential bid, which is false. 

Trump denies knowledge of image origins

One of the most viral photos depicted Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit with the text stating, “TAYLOR WANTS YOU TO VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP.” Trump also posted photos of young women wearing “Swifties for Trump” shirts. Trump reposted the photos with the caption, “I accept!” on his social media platform.

In an interview with Fox Business’s Grady Trimble, Trump was asked about the pictures and if he was worried about possible legal actions from Swift. Trump claimed that he did not know the source of the images, saying, “I don’t know anything about them, other than somebody else generated them. I didn’t generate them.” 

Trump further commented on the dangers of AI, remarking, “AI is always very dangerous in that way… It’s happening to me, too. They’re making — having me speak. I speak perfectly, I mean, absolutely perfectly, on AI, and I’m, like, endorsing other products and things. It’s a little bit dangerous out there.”

Copyright issues plague Trump campaign media

This is not the first social media controversy surrounding Trump’s campaign in recent times. Earlier in the week, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung posted a video showing Trump alighting from a plane in Michigan. The video, which was released and featured Beyoncé’s song “Freedom,” was taken down shortly after the singer claimed copyright infringement, casting further doubt on the campaign’s copyright compliance.

The photos come as fans wonder if the singer will support Trump’s Democratic rival, Vice President Harris. Swift endorsed President Biden’s 2020 presidential bid. A recent study by Elon University found that 76% of Americans are concerned that AI could be used to sway the election. In addition, 47% of these expressed that they have trouble discerning between real and manipulated images.

According to the study, this has resulted in many people losing confidence in the information they get, thus affecting their trust in other people as well. Since there are no federal laws to govern the use of AI in the election process, voters have no choice but to seek other sources that can help them determine whether the information they receive is real or fake.