For the launch of her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift invited fans into an elaborate online scavenger hunt this weekend, but what began as a fun puzzle soon turned controversial.
The hunt started when fans searched “Taylor Swift” on Google and discovered a cryptic message: “12 cities, 12 doors, 1 video to unlock.” Swifties were tasked with finding physical doors in various cities, scanning QR codes, and uncovering 12 short videos containing clues. Once the clues were solved, fans could collectively “knock” on a virtual orange door by clicking 12 million times to reveal the lyric video for “The Fate of Ophelia.”
While the scavenger hunt thrilled many fans, some grew uneasy as they watched the mysterious videos, claiming the visuals appeared to be AI-generated. Instead of chasing clues, some Swifties turned detective, zooming in on the clips to look for signs of artificial rendering, warped textures, or uncanny lighting.
Though there’s no confirmation that the videos were made using AI, fans suspect Google may have used its own video generation tools, such as its Veo 3 model, as part of the collaboration. Google has not responded to questions about the video’s production, but the company has previously worked with Swift on promotional campaigns.
The controversy hits especially close to home for Swift, who has previously spoken out about AI misuse. Last year, she condemned the spread of an AI-generated image falsely showing her endorsing Donald Trump, which prompted her to publicly support Kamala Harris instead.
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The discussion underscores a growing tension in entertainment: even as AI becomes a powerful creative tool, fans and artists remain wary of its influence. For an artist as meticulous and resource-rich as Taylor Swift, the idea that AI might be behind her latest visuals leaves fans wondering, was it intentional artistry, or just another tech experiment gone too far?
