The most anticipated endorsement in this year’s US Presidental Election has arrived, and technology has played a major role in bringing the decision to light.
Pop star Taylor Swift announced she will vote for democratic candidate and current vice president Kamala Harris. In an Instagram post after the first televised debate between Harris and opponent Donald Trump, Swift admitted fears over AI had convinced her to go public over her voting preference.
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The Trump campaign had recently used an AI-made Deepfake video of Swift, falsely claiming the Shake It Off singer had endorsed the former president and pledged her vote for this year’s election.
She spoke of the legitimate fear that AI – the undisputed hottest tech trend of 2024 – can be used to spread misinformation. She said it convinced her to combat the technologically-crafted falsehoods by coming forward with the truth.
In the Instagram post that went out to her near-300 million followers on the platform, Swift wrote: “Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. 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. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
Given Swift’s remarkable popularity, the endorsement could have an effect on younger voters in traditional Trump strongholds. Swift also signed off the letter as “Taylor Swift – Childless Cat Lady”, which is a reference to Republican rhetoric directed at people without children supposedly having less of a stake in the future of the country.
The remark may speak to female voters who’ve taken umbrage with the mysogynistic claims of Trump’s prospective VP J.D. Vance.
The clapback from Swift led to a grotesque response (which we won’t link to) from X owner Elon Musk – who also has a huge stake in future AI development via his Grok tool and stands to be granted a place in the Trump administration should the former president regain office in November.
AI is yet to play a huge role in the discussions surrounding the US Presidential Election despite the prospect for the technology to upend millions of Americans’ lives, in and out of the workplace. In Tuesday night’s debate, Harris only expressed a desire to “win the race on AI and quantum computing” and not about the need for safeguards and responsible usage.
