Students Shake Off the Impact of AI and Celebrity Endorsements
By: Benjamin Spitler, Mason Votes Contributor
Taylor Swift endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris on Instagram moments after the only Trump/Harris presidential debate. Photo credit: “TAYLOR SWIFT by Eva Rinaldi from Sydney Australia” by roberthuffstutter is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
In the minutes following the September 10th presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, megastar musician Taylor Swift took to social media encouraging individuals to “do their research” on important topics and stances of the candidates.
Later in Swift’s Instagram post, she endorsed Kamala Harris for President: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
Swift’s official endorsement followed an AI-generated image depicting Swift dressed as Uncle Sam suggesting she was endorsing then-candidate Joe Biden that was later edited and shared by a pro-Trump user on Truth Social with the text: “Taylor wants YOU to vote for Donald Trump.”
Trump’s own Truth Social account liked the altered pro-Trump version of the image a day later, with the former president adding, “I accept!”
Swift addressed the pro-Trump image directly in her endorsement post: “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.”
The AI-generated Swift endorsement image is just one instance of how the new frontier of artificial intelligence is influencing American society and elections, complicating our understanding of reality with highly-realistic fakes.
Earlier this year, The Economist noted the rise of AI-generated content: “From the printing press to the internet, new technologies have often made it easier to spread untruths or impersonate the trustworthy… The trouble is that fakes are rapidly getting harder to spot.”
The problem is simple, the highly advanced technology challenges the trust of everyone involved; which calls for adaptation in education and understanding of the available technology now and into the future. But that is a topic for another time.
NPR analyzed the impact of Swift encouraging her legion of followers to register and vote, finding that the nonpartisan group Vote.org recorded more than 35,000 new voter registrations (the “most since 2020” and “a 23% jump over last year”) following her National Voter Registration Day post on social media: “It’s not clear exactly how many of the registrations were tied to Swift’s Instagram. Vote.org reported a 1,226% jump in participation in the hour after the post.”
Taylor Swift’s Harris endorsement made headlines across numerous news outlets, highlighting the implication of AI in elections and potentially influencing voters across the country. However, the Mason student body does not appear to have been significantly impacted by her endorsement.
Among Mason students, many of those planning to vote said they weren’t even aware that Taylor Swift had endorsed Harris. Furthermore, several said that her endorsement does not affect their decision to vote or their choice of candidate.
Granya Curran, an international politics major, remarked, “I hate that people will be swayed in politics because of celebrities. [Voters] need to use logic and vote on who they think will be better for the country.”
This sentiment seems to resonate with many Mason students.
Alexis Lembke, a biology major, echoed this by stating, “I make choices based on my own opinions and beliefs—not that of celebrities who have their own agenda.”
In addition, many students expressed concerns about the misuse of AI in influencing potential voters.
Cameron McKay, a mechanical engineering major, voiced his worries, saying, “AI is getting out of control, and eventually, we won’t be able to tell what is real.”
As highlighted by The Economist, growing mistrust in the vast amount of information available, fueled by AI, is becoming a significant concern, not only across the nation but also here at Mason as we approach this election and those to come.
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Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th…
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Photo credit: “TAYLOR SWIFT by Eva Rinaldi from Sydney Australia” by roberthuffstutter is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped.