Taylor Swift Accused of Using AI for ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Promo Videos

Taylor Swift is facing allegations that her team used generative AI in promotional videos for her new album Life of a Showgirl.

In the run-up to the album’s release, Swift invited fans to take part in a global treasure-hunt-style video campaign. The pop megastar encouraged them to locate 12 “orange doors” in 12 different cities and scan QR codes that led to short videos.

However, instead of focusing on the album clues in the clips, some Swift fans — who are known as “Swifties” became preoccupied with what they believe are signs of AI-generated imagery in the videos.

Fans have alleged that several of the videos contain visual irregularities consistent with the use of generative AI. Among the reported issues are instances of disappearing or distorted imagery, as well as inconsistencies in lighting and object design. Viewers have cited examples including a treadmill display showing a warped version of the word “stop,” a squirrel that appears momentarily to lack a limb, and handwritten text in which identical letters seem to appear in differing fonts. Other details, such as misshapen dumbbells, have also been highlighted as potential indicators of AI generation.

Viewers also pointed to garbled or nonsensical writing as further evidence. One video set in a bar appears to contain distorted imagery, including a framed picture of a house with warped details and a book missing letters. In another frame, a bartender’s finger seems to blend into an orange napkin, an effect commonly seen in AI-generated visuals.

‘Swifties Against AI’

As speculation spread, fans began sharing posts on X and TikTok under the hashtag #SwiftiesAgainstAI, urging the singer to address the issue and apologize if AI was used. Swift has not publicly commented on the scandal.

Ben Colman, CEO and co-founder of AI detection firm Reality Defender, tells Wired that it is “highly likely” some of the clips were AI-generated. Several of the videos originally posted on YouTube Shorts have since been removed, and some related posts on X have been deleted. As of this week, searches for “Taylor Swift AI” on the platform appear to be limited.

It remains unclear who was responsible for producing and uploading the promotional clips — whether they were made by Swift’s in-house team or by an external production company. The videos appear to include traditional CGI elements alongside possible AI-generated visuals. According to The Tennessean, Swift’s campaign formed part of a promotional partnership with Google, which hosted one of the “orange door” installations in Nashville.

If Swift or her team did authorize the use of generative AI, the decision seems to contrast sharply with her long-standing advocacy for artistic ownership and fair compensation for creators. Swift has also previously been targeted by AI misuse, when she was the subject of explicit deepfakes which were widely circulated on Telegram and X. U.S. senators even introduced a bill that would criminalize the spread of nonconsensual deepfake porn — in direct response to the sexually explicit AI-generated photos of Swift that went viral.

Alyssa Yung, a longtime Swift fan who spoke to Rolling Stone, calls the alleged use of generative AI in the singer’s videos “utterly hypocritical.”

“She herself has gone on record against AI, and it has repeatedly been used against her — deepfake porn, false election endorsements, etc. Additionally, Taylor Swift has been an advocate for years about owning her art, and generative AI uses stolen art to create its images/videos,” Yung tells Rolling Stone. The fact that her/her team opted to go this route instead of hiring a real 3D/CGI artist when they have seemingly an endless budget (as a billionaire signed to a major record label) is a disappointing sign of the times.”

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.