Pop star Taylor Swift has been accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) in a global promotion for her new album The Life of a Showgirl. The campaign challenged fans to find 12 orange doors in 12 cities worldwide, each revealing short videos through QR codes.
However, several of these clips appear to show clear signs of AI generation. One video, set in an Art Nouveau-style bar, displays a blurred picture, a book missing letters, and a bartender’s hand blending into an orange napkin. Another, found in Barcelona, shows a gym where weights and handles fail to align naturally.
The videos sparked fierce debate online. Many fans expressed disappointment, pointing to Swift’s earlier criticism of AI misuse. “For someone who’s fought for artists’ rights, this feels tone-deaf,” one Reddit user commented. Others echoed the sentiment, saying Swift was “too rich for this”.
Swift has previously warned about the dangers of AI deepfakes and misinformation, after fake images linked her to political campaigns last year. She called those posts “deeply worrying” in an Instagram statement.
The singer has not confirmed whether AI was used in the album’s promotional materials. Still, the controversy arrives amid growing tension between artists and tech companies.
On Monday, AI firm Anthropic lost part of a court bid against Universal Music Group, which accuses it of using copyrighted song lyrics for AI training. Similar cases against OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft remain ongoing, highlighting the wider conflict between creativity and technology in the digital age.
Photo credit: Wikipedia_Taylor_Swift_The_Eras_Tour_Midnights_Era
