Spread on SNS and more... Viewed 47 million times
Fans say "X neglects... Protect Swift"
Explicit 'deepfake' images featuring pop star Taylor Swift's face have been spreading online. Deepfake is a portmanteau of 'Deep Learning' and 'Fake,' referring to fake content such as videos generated to mimic a specific person's face or voice, making them appear real.
On the 26th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) and CNN reported that recently, deepfake images showing Swift's face superimposed onto sexually explicit poses have circulated on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter).
The original source of the images is unclear, but they were mainly shared on X and some were also found on Instagram and Reddit. Although the accounts that posted these images have now been suspended and are difficult to locate, it is known that the images were viewed 47 million times before deletion.
In a related statement, X said, "We have actively removed all verified images and taken appropriate action against the accounts that posted them," adding, "We are closely monitoring the situation to promptly address any further violations."
However, Swift's fans are angry, accusing X of allowing the images to spread. They also posted related keywords along with phrases like "Protect Taylor Swift" to disrupt image searches.
The NYT conveyed comments from AI detection experts who said, "We are 90% confident that the images were generated using AI models."
Oren Etzioni, a computer science professor at the University of Washington who researches deepfakes, said, "There have always been various types of pornography in the dark corners of the internet," and added, "Going forward, we will face a tsunami of explicit images generated by AI."
Democratic Representative Joe Morelle (New York) called the spread of fake images related to Swift "horrific," stating, "This kind of thing happens to women everywhere every day." Last year, Representative Morelle introduced a bill to classify sharing deepfake images as a federal crime.
Currently, nine U.S. states have laws prohibiting the creation or sharing of deepfake photos using AI without the subject's consent. However, there are no federal regulations in place yet.
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