Taylor Swift’s AI Scandal Tarnishes The Life Of A Showgirl Era

Taylor SwiftS ‘ The Life Of A Showgirl era was set to be a dazzling affair until a series of AI videos tarnished the excitement. Swift dropped her new album on October 3, beginning a much happier era than her previous one.

Swift’s album takes fans through the last year of her life, including her relationship with Travis Kelce. Unfortunately, The Life Of A Showgirl received mixed reviews, worsened by an AI scandal.

The Life Of A Showgirl’s AI Usage Puts A Damper On The Wind

There was no chance Swift was kicking off a new era without a few easter eggs. The pop superstar planted orange doors in cities all over the world, and each door included a QR code, leading to a unique video. Each video revealed letters, which, put together, spelled the phrase “You must remember everything, but mostly this, the crowd is your king.“

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Swifties realized the obvious signs of AI usage in the videos. First off, the imagery resembles the kind of AI used on Facebook to trick baby boomers. However, the most obvious signs are the glitches. Barcelona’s video includes a close-up of a treadmill with a very distorted version of the word “stop.”

Meanwhile, London’s video features a bartender placing a napkin on the table as well his finger eerily goes through it. A few other examples include a disappearing hanger, a missing “i” in the title “The Fate Of Ophelia,” and a glitch with a squirrel’s leg.

Even Swifties pointed out more mistakes, they became less excited about Swift’s scavenger hunt. Swift put so much effort into her “The Fate Of Ophelia” music video that fans have been calling it one of her best. She also brought fans back to the theater for her The Life Of A Showgirl Movie event.

So why turn her back on art for the easter egg videos? Swifties have been unsure about The Life Of A Showgirl album, calling it weaker than her past work, and her AI usage is only making the era worse.

Swift Was Anti-AI, So What Changed?

If there’s one thing Taylor Swift has always stood for, it’s the importance of art and artists. She’s passionate about artists owning their work, reclaiming hers through re-recordings, and ultimately buying back all her art. Swift is also a member of SAG-AFTRA, who stood up against AI during the 2023 strikes.

Swift was a supporter of the movement and made sure to follow the guidelines when releasing Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour with AMC Theaters Distribution. During the 2024 election season, Swift made her thoughts on AI public via Instagram. Swift spoke out against President Donald Trump by sharing AI photos of her endorsing him.

She called out the dangers of spreading misinformation and admitted Trump’s actions “conjured up” her fears regarding AI. The modern age is the hardest time to be an artist since so many people would rather make cheap AI videos than hire an actual artist. It’s no secret that Swift has an unlimited budget.

She’s also been incredibly generous with her workers’ paychecks in the past, giving her Eras Tour truck drivers $100,000 bonuses. Perhaps Swift came up with the video idea at the last minute and didn’t have the time to hire an artist to make all the videos. However, there’s really no excuse.

Taylor Swift isn’t one of the greatest artists of all time simply because of her skills, but because of her integrity, which fell short with the recent AI scandal. There’s always room for her to make things right, but this is a major disappointment from someone who knows the value of art better than any other artist today.