The White House has voiced deep concern and alarm over the recent incident involving explicit artificial intelligence-generated photos of Taylor Swift being circulated online.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed the administration’s distress and emphasized the urgent need for Congress to take legislative action to address the issue of deep fake sexually explicit content.
Concerns Over Deep Fake Technology
Speaking to ABC News White House Correspondent Karen L. Travers, Jean-Pierre reiterated the gravity of the situation, using the term “alarming” five times in her response.
She emphasized that the administration is deeply disturbed by the circulation of false images and called attention to the potential harms caused by such malicious use of technology.
While acknowledging that social media companies make independent decisions about content management, Jean-Pierre stressed the vital role these platforms play in enforcing their own rules to prevent the spread of misinformation and non-consensual, intimate imagery of real people. The administration is urging social media companies to take responsibility for addressing these issues and implementing effective measures to curb the dissemination of harmful content.
In response to the disturbing incident, Jean-Pierre called on Congress to take legislative action. The White House is pushing for comprehensive legislation to address deep fake sexually explicit content, recognizing the need for a legal framework to combat the misuse of AI technology that can lead to the creation and dissemination of explicit and misleading content.
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White House Against Online Harassment
Jean-Pierre highlighted the issue of “lax enforcement” online, emphasizing that it disproportionately affects women and girls, who are often the primary targets of online harassment and abuse. She underscored the urgency of addressing these gender-specific challenges and ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals online.
The press secretary also highlighted recent actions taken by the administration to combat online harassment and abuse. This includes the launch of a task force dedicated to addressing these issues and the Department of Justice’s initiative to establish the first national 24/7 helpline for survivors of image-based sexual abuse.
The White House’s strong reaction to the incident involving Taylor Swift underscores the serious implications of deep fake technology and its potential for harm. As the administration urges Congress to enact legislation, the focus is on establishing a legal framework that can effectively address the challenges posed by the misuse of AI technology and protect individuals, particularly women and girls, from the harmful consequences of non-consensual, explicit content online.
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