As with every Taylor Swift album launch, all elements for The Life of a Showgirl were carefully planned and implemented starting last week, from teaser trailers to release-day events and talk-show appearances. Everything went smoothly—except for one issue that has unsettled and angered some Swift fans. Coinciding with the album’s launch, bright orange physical doors appeared in cities worldwide—such as Nashville, London, and Las Vegas—each featuring QR codes linking fans to travelogue-style videos highlighting those locations. However, some Swifties have spotted peculiar inconsistencies in these clips, still available online. Examples include a squirrel briefly missing a limb, varying fonts for the same letters in a notepad, a gym treadmill with a distorted display reading “stop, ” mismatched light and shadow through a window, and dumbbells in a workout room that seem out of place. These anomalies sparked what’s been dubbed the “Life of an AI Theory. ” Since last weekend, a portion of the Internet, including Swift fans, suspects that AI technology was employed in producing some of these promotional videos. TikTok users have highlighted these discrepancies and voiced strong disappointment that Swift might have used AI rather than hiring professional artists—especially given her previous denunciations of AI after a 2024 deepfake video falsely portrayed her endorsing President Trump. Swift herself previously said such videos fueled her concerns about AI and misinformation, particularly during last year’s presidential election. Alyssa Yung, a longtime Swift fan, posted a critique on TikTok. She described the alleged AI use as “utterly hypocritical, ” pointing out Swift’s public stance against AI and its misuse against her, including deepfake pornography and false endorsements. Yung emphasized Swift’s advocacy for owning her art and highlighted that generative AI relies on stolen content.

She lamented that Swift or her team opted for AI rather than engaging professional 3D or CGI artists, especially given the likely substantial budget available. Yung sees this decision as “a disappointing sign of the times. ” Alongside TikTok critiques, the hashtag #SwiftiesAgainstAI has emerged, calling attention to AI’s environmental impact. A recent MIT study found that AI technology demands massive electricity consumption, increasing carbon dioxide emissions and stressing power grids. Furthermore, substantial water is needed to cool AI hardware, potentially straining local water resources and ecosystems. However, it remains unclear who created and posted these videos, which appear to include significant CGI—whether it was Team Taylor, a third party, or perhaps Google. Neither Swift’s representatives nor Google responded to Rolling Stone’s inquiries for clarification. Nevertheless, many observers agree with those spotting the AI signs instead of contesting them. Comments include statements like “It’s 100% AI, ” noting the six-second cuts and mostly static camera angles with simple zooms. Others expressed disappointment that Swift would choose AI despite her ability to hire real motion graphics designers, considering her personal battles over intellectual property. Fans also remarked on the irony given how Swift has trained her audience to scrutinize every detail, wondering how those involved overlooked these detectable anomalies.