Taylor Swift Tops the List of ‘Most Dangerous Celebrities’ Due to Online AI Scams
In 2024, Taylor Swift spoke out against AI after fake images using her likeness circulated online. It seems that this is still happening, as Swift recently topped the list of most deepfaked celebrities. According to new research, scammers frequently use Swift’s face and voice to scam fans into giving over money and personal information.
Taylor Swift’s likeness has been used in AI scams
Recent research from McAfee Labs uncovered the celebrities whose faces are used most frequently by online scammers. Swift tops what they refer to as their “Most Dangerous Celebrities” list.
“The formula is simple: use someone people trust to sell something that doesn’t exist,” reads the report. “Criminals clone celebrity voices and faces with AI to promote fake giveaways, skincare products, crypto investments, or ‘exclusive’ deals that lead straight to malware or payment fraud.”
Scammers exploit well-loved, trustworthy celebrities, and Swift has a massive and dedicated fanbase. McAfee’s research showed that one in ten Americans lost money or data to scams like this. Victims lose an average of $525.
“The celebrities at the center of these scams aren’t accomplices, they’re victims, too, as criminals hijack their likenesses to exploit the bond between fans and the people they admire,” the research notes. “And as deepfake tools become easier to use, the line between real and fake is vanishing fast.”
Taylor Swift once spoke out against AI after fake images of her circulated online
Swift is well aware that deepfake images of her are still circulating online. In 2024, sexually explicit, AI-generated images of Swift cropped up on social media.
“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,” a source close to the singer told the Daily Mail. “The Twitter account that posted them does not exist anymore. It is shocking that the social media platform even let them be up to begin with.”
Swift also spoke out after images of her endorsing Donald Trump circulated. She said this sort of misinformation made her wary of AI.
“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site,” she said, per Public Citizen. “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation.”
Some fans criticized her after she used AI in album promotion
Though Swift has spoken out against AI in the past, her fans recently criticized her after they believed she used AI videos to promote her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl. People noticed irregularities in the clips that often indicate the use of AI technology.
The hashtag #SwiftiesAgainstAI began appearing in videos and posts from fans who encouraged her not to use AI. It’s unclear whether Swift had anything to do with these videos, but most fans agreed that it seemed obvious they were not made by a human.
