Taylor Swift wants to trademark her voice and image. What will it mean for AI?

Source: Mashable Tech

Trademark filing

According to Reuters, the pop superstar submitted applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for two audio files — “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor” — and an image of Swift onstage. The trademark owner is listed as Swift’s TAS Rights Management. Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey made a similar move in January, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Background on AI‑generated deepfakes

Swift has been plagued with AI‑generated deepfake videos and images over the last few years.

• In January 2024, sexualised AI‑generated images of Swift went viral on X, prompting hundreds of millions of views and fan outrage.
• In August 2025, unauthorised chatbots on Meta impersonated Swift and other celebrities, making sexual advances (Mashable).

Political repercussions

The filing could also have political implications. In August 2024, Donald Trump posted a deepfake on social media falsely suggesting that Swift and her fans backed the Republican presidential nominee (Al Jazeera).

Wider AI deepfake concerns

Non‑consensual AI‑generated images have become a colossal problem, especially on Elon Musk’s X platform. The platform’s AI tool Grok has been used to create a wave of sexualised and violent deepfakes, including those involving minors.

• Early 2026: X offered more protections against deepfakes (Mashable).
• Multiple investigations launched globally, including in the UK (Ofcom), Europe, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India.

As of April 2026, X remains under investigation in France for “complicity in possession or organised distribution of child sexual abuse material, infringement of people’s image rights with sexual deepfakes and suspected fraudulent data extraction by an organised group” (BBC). Musk’s xAI also faces a lawsuit from teens in California over the creation of sexually explicit images (BBC).

Swift has not taken legal action against X for deepfakes to date.

Emerging trend of trademarking personal likeness

The move reflects a broader shift toward real humans trademarking their own likeness to protect themselves against AI clones and deepfakes. This trend is gaining attention in Hollywood and raises new legal and ethical questions about personal image rights in the age of generative AI.