“People can’t convince me that those dolls aren’t AI”: Fans question if Lady Gaga and Tim Burton’s “Dead Dance” collaboration was made with generative AI assistance

Pop artist Lady Gaga collaborated with dark fantasy filmmaker Tim Burton for her “The Dead Dance” music video. However, fans aren’t impressed with the special effects, suspecting AI.

Was AI used in Lady Gaga’s “The Dead Dance”?

Lady Gaga announced her new music video in a post on X earlier this week, launching alongside Netflix’s Wednesday second season.

The black and white film-style video features the singer dancing erratically in a creepy scene, filled with haunted dolls. The dolls move, blink, and smile menacingly at the camera throughout.

However, some viewers are questioning whether the movements of said dolls were actually created by AI generative effects.

“The video is in 4K, and if you zoom in on the first shot where the doll dances, it’s clear that the doll is in a much lower resolution. It looks like they used some free AI,” one fan suggests.

“Like, yes, I don’t doubt that they actually filmed, and the location and shots of Gaga aren’t AI, but those moving dolls look way too sus, and the little diva doll standing up and dancing loses her fingers at points, along with her face being morphed,” said another.

“I didn’t think we’d ever be in a timeline where a Tim Burton x Lady Gaga collab would turn out to be AI slop… but here we are,” one X user posts.

Tim Burton has previously spoken out against AI

However, many fans are having a hard time believing Tim Burton would use any sort of generative AI for his work.

Additionally, Burton has previously shared that he is staunchly anti-AI. In an interview with The Independent, the filmmaker criticized the use of AI in a BuzzFeed article about Burton-ized Disney characters.

“They had AI do my versions of Disney characters. I can’t describe the feeling it gives you. It reminded me of when other cultures say, ‘Don’t take my picture because it is taking away your soul,’” he said at the time.

“What it does is it sucks something from you,” he continued. “It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It’s like a robot taking your humanity, your soul.”

What did production say about the rumors?

Production manager Carlos Llergo denied the use of AI in a comment on the music video on YouTube. A commenter asks, “Are the dolls AI?”

“Nooooo. Of course, the ones moving were animated in a VFX studio,” he writes. VFX, or visual effects, typically involve manual alteration of images and video.

In another YouTube comment, Llergo continues, “I did the production so I was not very involved in the post production processes, but I can assure you we had a great VFX supervisor on set…I can assure you no AI was used.” An Instagram post lists Jesse Kawzenuk, who also worked on Wednesday and The Umbrella Academy, as the VFX supervisor.

Fans aren’t totally convinced

Despite his effort to clear the air, fans say they still aren’t convinced that the music video was 100% AI-free.

“People can’t convince me that those dolls aren’t AI until I see them show us the full process on how they made those dolls. I’m not buying a YouTube comment screenshot,” one fan posts in reference to the production manager’s comments.

“It’s not an attack on Gaga to be skeptical of sloppy, glitchy, blurry work that throws AI red flags, btw. Love her so much but squinting real hard at the hack who’s responsible because the best-case scenario is [expletive] work..,” one comments on X.

One commenter went so far as to call it gaslighting, saying, “Think people should have some humility in being wrong, even if it involves your favorite artist. It’s clearly AI, and I genuinely think we’re being gaslit to not think it is.”

“When LADY GAGA and Tim Burton use AI, you know we are in hell,” a fourth shares.

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