Congress weighed in this week on AI images targeting pop singer Taylor Swift, raising eyebrows on conservative X, formerly Twitter, where commentators said Washington politicians might have some more pressing issues to worry about for the United States.
Images generated using AI software portraying Taylor Swift in a lewd and obscene way went viral on X this week. While her fans were understandably outraged on social media over the egregious misuse of Swift’s image, Congress might already have enough on its plate.
“What’s happened to Taylor Swift is nothing new,” said Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) on Thursday in a post on X. “For yrs, women have been targets of deepfakes w/o their consent. And w/ advancements in AI, creating deepfakes is easier & cheaper. This is an issue both sides of the aisle & even Swifties should be able to come together to solve.”
What’s happened to Taylor Swift is nothing new. For yrs, women have been targets of deepfakes w/o their consent. And w/ advancements in AI, creating deepfakes is easier & cheaper.
This is an issue both sides of the aisle & even Swifties should be able to come together to solve.
— Yvette D. Clarke (@RepYvetteClarke) January 25, 2024
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY), who introduced a bill last May to ban lewd deep fakes, said, “The spread of A.I.-generated and altered images can cause irrevocable emotional, financial, and reputational harm — and unfortunately, women are disproportionately impacted.”
The White House waded into the controversy this week as well. “We are alarmed by the reports of the [ … ] circulation of images that you just laid out – of false images to be more exact, and it is alarming,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Given the failings of Congress to ensure U.S. border security and provide military aid to the nation’s number one strategic ally in the Middle East after one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s history last fall, conservative X was not impressed.
Clown World, an X account that highlights the unseriousness of the progressive establishment, to over 2.3 million followers, said, “The country is being invaded and this is what your politicians are concerned about.”
A reply by a user whose bio says he is a “conservative father and husband” of 17 years said, “WHO cares about Taylor Swift? We have serious problems in this country and some [members] of congress are trying to divert attention to this? They should be put in prison [for] dereliction of duty.”
