Trump's post featuring fake Taylor Swift endorsement is his latest embrace of AI-generated images

WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Donald Trump Trump was active on his social media accounts as Democrats gathered for their convention in Chicago, but some of his posts had little to do with reality.

before National Democratic CongressHe posted a fake image of a person resembling Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at a communist rally in Chicago, holding a red sign with a communist symbol on it. This came after he retweeted a fake video of himself dancing alongside billionaire Elon Musk, one of his biggest supporters.

Shortly before the conference began, he reposted a photo of Taylor Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, accepting her endorsement of his campaign, something she had not previously announced.

This is the latest example of how Trump has promoted images generated by AI tools to attack his opponents or create the illusion of support for his campaign. It’s in line with a long-standing strategy in which Trump has amplified messages — from QAnon followers to those who deny the results of the election were fair — to score political points and appease his base by promoting an alternate reality.

Some of the images and videos shared by Trump are caricatures or clearly fake. However, the rise of AI-generated content across political social media is worrying experts who say it could be used to push more malicious and believable misinformation. And as social media becomes more saturated with fake images, videos and audio clips created by generative AI models, they also risk eroding people’s trust in what they see and hear.

“The AI-generated fake videos of Taylor Swift are yet another example of how AI can create misinformation that deceives and misleads voters,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-chair of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer advocacy organization that has pushed for legislation to regulate AI. “The potential harm to our society from such misinformation, including the abuse of our elections, is far-reaching and devastating.”

One of the AI-generated images of Trump’s Truth Social post, shared Sunday, showed women wearing T-shirts that read “Swifties for Trump,” a reference to the artist’s devout fans. The fake image, which showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, included text that read, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” In his retweet of the image, Trump added, “I do!”

One of the photos Trump shared included a small sarcastic tag, though he did not make clear whether he meant his post to be a joke.

Swift, who is still on her world tour and is scheduled to perform in London on Tuesday night, has not publicly endorsed this year's U.S. presidential election. Her spokesman did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.

For Republicans outside Trump’s orbit, focusing on someone like Swift — one of the most talked-about artists in the world — is about drawing attention to Trump at a time when so much focus is on Harris and Democrats.

“That way he and his campaign can get back into the news cycle,” said Doug Hey, a Republican spokesman and longtime staffer. “I hesitate to say it’s their fault, but I think we all know that if you want people to talk about you, Taylor Swift is a great way to do it.”

Harris's spokesman did not respond to questions about Trump's use of AI-generated images.

Trump supporters often create social media posts and memes using AI-generated images, and the former president has shared some of them.

Before Trump posted the fake Swift photos, his supporters were creating and sharing AI-generated videos and images of the pop star appearing to support Trump. They also shared numerous photos of Harris dressed as a communist leader or addressing a Soviet rally.

Political actors have long worried about what the rise of artificial intelligence could mean for elections.

Some members of Congress have pushed for legislation to regulate the use of AI-generated images in politics, but no legislation has passed to do so. Federal Communications Commission Propose requiring political advertisers to disclose their use of artificial intelligence In TV and radio ads, but such a rule would not affect social media platforms.

While many social media companies have rules for labeling AI-generated content, they’re not always followed. Across platforms, misleading and realistic images of both Trump and Harris are attracting millions of views, with some users unaware that what they’re seeing is fake.

Given her influence and millions of fans, Swift often becomes a popular political topic during election years.

In 2020, she is Support President Joe BidenA month before the election, she wrote that she would be cheering on then-vice presidential nominee Harris, this year’s Democratic nominee, in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also publicly criticized Trump ahead of the 2020 election, saying he had fanned the “fires of white supremacy and racism.”

Although she has remained on the sidelines so far this year, she has not escaped the attention of prominent conservatives who are concerned about Swift's endorsement of the Democratic presidential ticket.

Jeanine Pirro of Fox News earlier this year to caution Fox News' Sean Hannity: 'Swift Won't Get Into Politics' Urge “I urged her to think twice before supporting Biden when he was running for re-election. Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate and vocal Trump supporter, Named Swift and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, are an “artificially propped-up cultural couple” who could make a “huge presidential endorsement” this fall.

Some of her supporters have responded to Trump’s posts by taking to social media to declare their intention to vote for the former president. The Trump campaign is capitalizing on that support.

Trump spokesman Stephen Cheung did not address the use of fake images in response to questions, but described Swifties for Trump as a “huge movement that's growing every day.”

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Swenson sent his report from New York.

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