“Protect Taylor Swift.”
The three-word phrase became a rallying cry on X (formerly Twitter) for fans voicing support for the Grammy-winning singer, whose likeness was used in a series of sexually explicit AI-generated images that circulated on social media this month. The doctored images, also known as deepfakes, were pornographic in nature and referenced the “Midnights” singer’s high-profile romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
As the images spread early Thursday morning, a number of Swifties took it upon themselves to report the X accounts sharing the Swift deepfakes. “Actually terrifying that they exist. Please report + don’t give more attention to those tweets,” said user @naboocoffee, who shared a screenshot of their reporting activity.
“We gotta protect taylor swift from all this AI b—. I don’t care if she doesn’t know me, it’s basic human decency to not have your likeness be exploited by making AI porn!!!,” posted @everhero13.
“Protect her, don’t missuse tech,” wrote @WhyParker_. “Taylor Swift AI is disgusting as hell.”
A representative for Swift did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Thursday.
The widely circulated Swift deepfakes are the latest indication that explicit AI material overwhelmingly affects women and children. In December, a New Jersey mother urged lawmakers to enact more protections against AI-tech after deepfake nude images of her 14-year-old daughter and other female classmates were circulated in their high school.
Last year, popular Twitch streamers Imane “Pokimane” Anys, Maya Higa and QTCinderella spoke out against AI after learning that their likenesses were used without their consent for a deepfake porn webiste.
“Everybody f— stop. Stop spreading it. Stop advertising it. Stop,” tweeted QTCinderella. “Being seen ‘naked’ against your will should NOT BE A PART OF THIS JOB.”
In recent years AI has become a headache for Hollywood and other creators. Amid last year’s actors’ strike. Tom Hanks warned his followers of a dental plan advertisement that used an “AI version of me.”
“I have nothing to do with it,” he said in an Instagram post.
Swift may be a high-profile star who reportedly joined the billionaire club last year, but her fans says she is still a “real person” deserving of respect and dignity.
“‘She’s a white billionaire’ is never an excuse to spread AI images of sexualizing women,” said @jdjoshi60. “PROTECT TAYLOR SWIFT.”
Times staff writer Brian Contreras and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
