For the release of her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift sent fans on an online scavenger hunt this weekend. However, when fans released the secret video as part of the campaign, some were concerned that the clips looked like they were generated.
A Google search for the singer’s name yields a cryptic message: “Video 1 to unlock 12 cities, 12 doors, 1 video.”
Fans had to know where the doors were, physically find them and scan the QR code. This has surfaced 12 unique videos containing the necessary clues to solve the puzzle. When fans Googled the correct phrase, another orange door appeared. Fans had to collectively “knock” by clicking 12 million times. Finally, YouTube reveals a lyric video for “The Fate of Ophelia” that has its own orange door progress bar, and the door “opened.”
YouTube has acquired a dedicated video for the track, as well as lyric videos for the remaining songs on the new album.
Google first announced the scavenger hunt in an Instagram video. The video begins with an aerial view of Earth, an orange door is visible, and an orange door is seen overlaid with Google’s search bar.
While Swifties love puzzles, some were rubbed the wrong way by a video containing 12 clues that appeared to be AI-generated.
Instead of looking for clues to announce Swift’s new lyric video, as Swift intended, some fans began scouring the video clip like detectives. However, there are computer-generated clips, but it is unclear whether and to what extent, if any, they were made using AI.
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It would make sense if these videos were generated using Google’s AI products. As Openai introduces its new SORA 2 video generator, this Taylor Swift collaboration could be a fortuitous opportunity for Google to show millions of Swifties what its VEO 3 model can do.
Google did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment on how these videos were generated or whether Swift and Google collaborated on this activation using Google’s own AI technology. However, Swift’s team and Google have teamed up for similar promotional efforts in the past.
The use of AI in Creative Works is a sensitive topic. Some artists think these tools can help them, while others protest the way large language models are being trained to do their jobs without their consent, and the way artists’ own work is used to create technology that can threaten their livelihoods.
Even Swift herself spoke out about the dangers of AI after President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image showing support for his campaign last year. The incident prompted her to declare confirmation of former Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran against Trump in 2024.
“Recently, I became aware that an AI “I” was posted on his site that falsely supported Donald Trump’s presidential run. It really brought home the dangers of AI and spreading misinformation.
The controversy over Swift’s possible use of AI is amplified given her own stature in the music industry.
While AI may appeal to some artists as a way to cut costs, billionaire musicians have the resources to potentially use every resource at their disposal to realize the fantastical scenes from their promotional videos.
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