Swifties Win a Battle Against Deepfakes

Swifties Win a Battle Against Deepfakes

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People searching for Taylor Swift-related content on X over the weekend may have been surprised to find zero results, alongside the following message: “Don’t fret—it’s not your fault.”  The platform paused certain Taylor Swift-related searches after AI-generated deepfakes portraying Swift in sexually explicit situations and contexts began spreading through the platform (as well as Telegram and Reddit) late last week.

Predictably, Swift’s legions of fans (a.k.a. Swifties) quickly sprang into action, channeling their anger, disgust, and hurt into an organized effort to redirect users away from the deepfakes. They filed complaints. They blocked users. They swarmed against the images in such large numbers that the hashtag #ProtectTaylorSwift began trending on X. 

The result? Where many others have failed to get X to block or remove pornographic or hate-fueling content, it appears that the Swifties’ dedication and tenacity succeeded. The images have since been removed from the platform, and as of yesterday morning, searches for Taylor Swift on X have been restored to normal. But the impact of the event still lingers with everyone from Microsoft (whose free text-to-image GenAI program Designer was believed to have been used to create deepfakes) to Congress and even the White Houseweighing in on the issue, and raising hopes that the episode could help spur authorities to attempt to address the phenomena of unauthorized sexually explicit deepfakes that persist for other victims

Meanwhile, with 2024 being “the biggest election year in history,” as more than 2 billion people around the globe head to the polls to vote for heads of state in 50 national elections, others remain concerned about less prurient deepfakes circulating via social media.

Why it matters The apprehension surrounding AI-generated images—and the apparent lack of limits regarding what prompts individuals can use to make imagery, videos, and other content—is especially heightened when it comes to invasion of privacy and the safety of minors online. To address this, brands should acknowledge the critical importance of AI governance while also including reassurances in key messaging across communication channels, ensuring the trust, safety, and privacy of consumers.

Other news and headlines

 

Contributors: Head of Social Content and Engagement Strategy Cristina Lawrence, Senior Vice President Jerry Lawrence, Group Vice President Andrew McKernan, and Senior Vice President Tammy Pepito.

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