Photo: AP
AI-generated fake advertisements are making the rounds on social media again, this time using the voice and likeness of Taylor Swift (pic) promising free Le Creuset cookware sets.
As any proper Swiftie knows, the Hoax singer is a fan of Le Creuset. In the pop star's 2020 documentary Miss Americana, she whipped up some pasta sauce in the brand's blue dutch oven. And back in 2014, Swift surprised "superfan" Gena Gabrielle by attending her bridal shower with several gifts in tow, including two items from the luxury cookware line.
Scammers used artificial intelligence technology to craft a synthetic version of the singer's voice, the New York Times reported Tuesday. The audio was played over various images of Le Creuset products and clips of Swift, some lifted from her 2016 interview with Vogue, 73 Questions With Taylor Swift, in which the Grammy winner gives the outlet a tour of her home while answering rapid-fire questions.
In multiple social media ads, Swift's voice is manipulated to sound as though she's "thrilled" to be giving away to her "loyal fans" free cookware sets that are available due to a "packaging error." Fans need only to offer up their personal information and pay a US$9.96 shipping fee.
A spokesperson for Le Creuset told The Times in a statement that the brand is not not involved with Taylor Swift for any consumer giveaway. "All approved Le Creuset giveaways or promotions come from the official Le Creuset social accounts," the statement said. "Consumers should always check Le Creuset's official social accounts and website before clicking on any suspicious ads."
Representative for Swift did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
