The actors' union finds the X-rated AI-generated photos of the pop superstar 'upsetting, harmful, and deeply concerning,' while the WH press secretary pushes for 'legislative action' to deal with the issue.
- Jan 27, 2024
AceShowbiz - Pornographic AI images of Taylor Swift have caught the attention of SAG-AFTRA and White House. After Swifties voiced their concern on social media, the actors' union and the WH have spoken up against the release of the fake explicit photos of the singer/songwriter.
In a statement published via its website on Friday, January 26, SAG-AFTRA called the images "upsetting, harmful, and deeply concerning." It stated, "The sexually explicit, A.I.-generated images depicting Taylor Swift are upsetting, harmful, and deeply concerning. The development and dissemination of fake images - especially those of a lewd nature - without someone's consent must be made illegal."
"As a society, we have it in our power to control these technologies, but we must act now before it is too late," the statement continued to read. "SAG-AFTRA continues to support legislation by Congressman Joe Morelle, the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act, to make sure we stop exploitation of this nature from happening again."
The union, which fought against the use of AI to replicate an actor's performance during the strike last year, concluded, "We support Taylor, and women everywhere who are the victims of this kind of theft of their privacy and right to autonomy."
The issue has apparently also become a hot topic in Washington. At the White House briefing on Friday, a reporter asked if President Joe Biden supported legislation to ban AI-generated porn images. "It is alarming," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, "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."
"While social media companies make their own independent decisions about content management, we believe they have an important role to play in enforcing their own rules to prevent the spread of misinformation, and non-consensual, intimate imagery of real people," she said.
Karine stressed, "There should be legislation, obviously, to deal with this issue," before imploring, "Congress should take - should take legislative action." She also noted that "lax enforcement" online disproportionately impacts women and girls, "sadly, who are the overwhelming targets -- the overwhelming targets of online harassment, and also abuse."
Dozens of graphic images that showed Taylor in a series of sexual acts while dressed in Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia and in the stadium were uploaded by deepfake porn site Celeb Jihad earlier this week. They have since been spread on X, Facebook, Instagram and Reddit.
While Taylor has not publicly addressed the release of the AI-generated images, she's reportedly "furious" and considering to take a legal action. "Taylor's circle of family and friends are furious, as are her fans obviously," a source allegedly close to the Grammy winner told Daily Mail on Thursday. "They have the right to be, and every woman should be."
"Whether or not legal action will be taken is being decided, but there is one thing that is clear: These fake, AI-generated images are abusive, offensive, exploitative and done without Taylor's consent and/or knowledge," the source added.
