(CNN) — When former President Donald Trump reposted a fake image of Taylor Swift striking a pose like the iconic Uncle Sam recruiting poster, it pushed to the forefront a topic that goes beyond politics: unauthorized digital replicas.
Concerned by the proliferation of AI tools, state and federal legislators have recently launched or pushed for efforts to protect anyone against the misuse of their name, voice, image and likeness in the digital era. For experts, Trump’s social media post highlights why those broad legislative efforts are taking place, in addition to being one of the most visible bogus claims in the 2024 campaign.
Trump reposted last weekend on his Truth Social platform several images including the one depicting Taylor Swift as Uncle Sam. The image included the text, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” In response to the fake endorsement, Trump posted a carousel of (Swift) images, along with the comment, “I accept!”
A …