Washington (Associated Press) Former President Donald Trump As Democrats gather in Chicago for their convention, Trump has been active on his social accounts, but some of his posts have little to do with reality.
First Democratic National ConventionTwitter posted a fake image of what appeared to be Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at a communist rally in Chicago, along with a red flag emblazoned with communist symbols, before reposting a fake video of her dancing next to one of her most ardent supporters, billionaire Elon Musk.
Just before the convention began, he reposted a photo of Taylor Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, endorsing her for a campaign she never supported.
These are the latest examples of Trump using imagery created by artificial intelligence tools to attack his opponents and create the illusion of support for his campaign, in line with his long-standing strategy of amplifying messages from everyone from QAnon adherents to those who deny fair election results, spreading alternative realities to score political points and satisfy his supporters.
Some of the images and videos shared by Trump are cartoon-style or obviously fake. But the rise of AI-generated content on political social media has experts concerned that it could be used to spread more insidious and credible misinformation. If fake images, videos and audio clips created by AI-generative models start to flood social media, it could undermine people’s trust in what they see and hear.
“The AI-generated Taylor Swift deepfake is another example of the power of AI to create disinformation to deceive and mislead voters,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer advocacy group that has pushed for AI regulation legislation. “The potential harms that could result in society from this disinformation, including the theft of elections, are far-reaching and extremely damaging.”
One AI-generated image from Trump’s TruthSocial post shared on Sunday showed women wearing “Swifties for Trump” shirts, a reference to the artist’s die-hard fans. The fake image, featuring Swift as Uncle Sam, was accompanied by the text, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” Trump reposted the image, adding, “I agree!”
One of the images Trump shared had a small satire label on it, but he did not clarify whether the post was intended as a joke.
Swift, who is still on her world tour and is scheduled to perform in London on Tuesday night, has not endorsed anyone in this year’s US presidential election. A spokesman for Swift did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
For Republicans outside Trump’s base, the focus on someone like Swift, one of the world’s most talked-about artists, is to draw attention to Trump at a time when all attention is on Harris and the Democratic Party.
“This is a way for him and his campaign to get back into the news cycle,” said Doug Heye, a longtime Republican spokesman and activist. “I hesitate to give them credit, but I think we all know that if you want to make a story, Taylor Swift is a great way to do it.”
A spokesman for Harris did not respond to questions about Trump’s use of imagery generated by artificial intelligence.
What you need to know about the 2024 election
Trump supporters frequently create social media posts and memes using AI-generated imagery, some of which have been shared by the former president.
Before Trump shared the fake Swift photo, his supporters had been posting their own AI-generated videos and images of pop stars appearing to support Trump, as well as numerous photos of Harris dressed as a Communist leader and addressing crowds in the Soviet Union.
Political insiders have long worried about how the rise of artificial intelligence will affect elections.
Some lawmakers are pushing legislation to restrict the politicization of AI-generated imagery, but no such bills are close to passing. Federal Communications Commission He proposed requiring political advertisers to disclose how their ads are being used. artificial intelligence Such rules do not affect social media platforms, as they do for television and radio advertising.
While some social media companies have rules in place to label AI-generated content, they aren’t always followed: Misleading, lifelike images of Trump and Harris have been viewed millions of times across platforms, with some users unaware that what they’re seeing is fake.
Given her influence and millions of fans, Swift is a frequent political topic during election years.
In 2020, she Endorsed President Joe BidenA month before the election, she wrote that she would support this year’s debate between Harris, then the Democratic nominee for vice president, and then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also publicly criticized Trump for “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” ahead of the 2020 election.
Though she has remained on the sidelines so far this year, she has not escaped the attention of prominent conservatives concerned about Swift’s support for the Democratic presidential nominee.
Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro earlier this year Warned Swift says she “stays out of politics,” Fox News’ Sean Hannity Urged He told her to “think carefully” about supporting Biden, who was seeking reelection, and Vivek Ramaswami, a former Republican presidential candidate and staunch Trump supporter. It is called Swift and her NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, are an “artificially culturally supported couple” who may gain “massive presidential support” this fall.
Some of her supporters have responded to Trump’s posts on social media by announcing their intention to vote for the former president, and the Trump campaign has jumped on the bandwagon.
When asked, Trump spokesman Steven Chang did not address the use of the fake images but called “Swifties for Trump” a “massive movement that is growing every day.”
___
Swenson reported from New York.
___
The Associated Press receives financial support from Omidyar Network to support its coverage of artificial intelligence and its impact on society. The AP is solely responsible for all content. standard To work with a charity, see our list of supporters and funding areas. AP.org
___
The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to strengthen its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. Learn more about The Associated Press Democracy Initiative here. hereThe AP is solely responsible for all content.
