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Taylor Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president after Tuesday's debate, partly to debunk AI-generated images suggesting she supported Donald Trump.
"Recently, I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site," Swift wrote in an Instagram post. "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter."
Swift is referring to a series of photos Trump amplified in August on his Truth Social platform. The images, originally posted by conservative X accounts, claimed to show a burgeoning "Swifties for Trump" movement. One photo depicted Swift in a pointing, Uncle Sam-style pose with the caption, "Taylor Swift wants you to vote for Donald Trump."
"The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth," Swift wrote on Tuesday.
Her post adds a list of reasons why she is voting for Harris. She's a "steady-handed, gifted leader" who "fights for the right causes," including LGBTQ+ rights and access to abortion and IVF treatment, according to Swift, who also expressed support for Tim Walz as the VP pick.
But she adds that "the choice is yours to make" and encouraged everyone to make sure they're registered to vote. Swift signs the post "Childless Cat Lady," referring to comments by Trump's VP pick, Sen. JD Vance.
Pets took center stage in last night's debate after Trump falsely claimed immigrants are eating them in Springfield, Ohio, something Vance also said during a recent Senate hearing. Springfield officials told ABC News that's not true, but AI-generated images of Trump saving pets from immigrants flooded social media. Even the official GOP House Judiciary Committee posted one.
AI-generated images of presidential candidates has been an ongoing issue this election cycle, with each platform handling it differently. Midjourney banned creation of political figures ahead of the election. Grok, the chatbot on X, freely generates outrageous depictions of the candidates.
Grok also made headlines for serving up inaccurate election information. It later agreed to add an alert on voting-related questions that directs people to Vote.gov. ChatGPT redirects to CanIVote.org. Google Gemini redirects to a Google search after saying, "I can't help with responses on elections and political figures right now."
X owner and Trump supporter Elon Musk, meanwhile, responded to Swift's endorsement by pledging to "give you a child and guard your cats with my life." He has 12 children with three different women.