I may be able to only hum a few bars of any of Taylor Swift songs, but I respect her so much as a talented singer/songwriter and businesswoman. Let alone her being a kind and decent human being. Did she deserve this? No and nor should anyone. The recent scandal involving deepfake images of Taylor Swift highlights a growing concern over the use of deepfake technology for abusive purposes. The scandal erupted on a social media platform where sexually explicit and abusive deepfake images of Swift were widely circulated. Swift's fanbase, known as the "Swifties," rapidly organized a counteroffensive, using the hashtag #ProtectTaylorSwift to flood the platform with positive images of Swift and report accounts sharing the offensive deepfakes. Despite these efforts, the content had spread to other platforms, including Meta-owned Facebook. Some of the images were shared on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. One post sharing screenshots of the fabricated images was reportedly viewed over 45 million times before the account was suspended on Thursday. X has since disallowed any search for Taylor Swift.

Related Article: Swift retaliation: Fans strike back after explicit deepfakes flood X

This incident is part of a broader trend where deepfake technology, which has become more accessible and user-friendly, is being used to create explicit and abusive imagery, predominantly targeting women. Hollywood actors and South Korean K-pop singers have been primary targets in the past. Swift, known for her advocacy against wrongdoing, finds herself at the center of this issue, which resonates with her past efforts in addressing injustices, notably in the context of the MeToo movement.

Related Article: It’s not just Taylor Swift: AI-generated porn is targeting women and kids all over the world

In terms of legal responses, U.S. politicians have called for new laws to criminalize the creation of deepfake images. Virginia, for example, has banned deepfake revenge porn. Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY) reintroduced the DEEPFAKES Accountability Act, which aims to establish a legal precedent of protection from this type of abuse. The proposed legislation includes measures like digital watermarking for deepfake content.

USA TODAY was only able to identify 10 states that have passed laws banning exploitative deepfake pornography. Legal remedies are still being created.

Related Article: Clarke Leads Legislation to Regulate Deepfakes

Tech platforms are also grappling with how to handle this issue. The scandal has prompted investigations into whether tools from major tech companies like Microsoft were misused in creating these images. Microsoft, for instance, has reiterated its policy against adult or non-consensual intimate content. However, the effectiveness of platform responses has been varied, and there are concerns about reduced content moderation efforts on certain platforms.

Related Article: Were Taylor Swift explicit AI photos illegal? US laws are surprising and keep changing.

This incident underscores the urgent need for both technological solutions and legal measures to combat the malicious use of deepfake technology. As technology evolves, it poses new challenges that require concerted efforts from lawmakers, tech companies, and the public to protect individuals from this form of abuse​​​​.

In the meantime, I am rooting for Taylor’s advocacy against deepfakes. As a footnote, when creating the imagery for this article, ChatGPT 4 refused to create anything about Taylor, however, MidJourney had no problem.

About the Author

Curt Doty specializes in branding, product development, social strategy, integrated marketing, and UXD. He has extensive experience on AI-driven platforms MidJourney, Adobe Firefly, Bard, ChatGPT, Colossyan, Murf.ai, and DALL-E. His legacy of entertainment branding: Electronic Arts, EA Sports, ProSieben, SAT.1, WBTV Latin America, Discovery Health, ABC, CBS, A&E, StarTV, Fox, Kabel 1, TV Guide Channel, and Prevue Channel.

He is a sought after public speaker having been featured at Mobile Growth Association, Mobile Congress, App Growth Summit, Promax, CES, CTIA, NAB, NATPE, MMA Global, New Mexico Angels, Santa Fe Business Incubator, EntrepeneursRx and AI Impact. He is now represented by Ovationz. His most recent consultancy RealmIQ helps companies manage the AI Revolution.

© 2023 Curt Doty Company LLC. All rights reserved. RealmIQ is a division of the Curt Doty Company. Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher is not responsible for any AI errors or omissions.