Mariah Carey Fans Think Singer Used An AI Version Of Herself In Spotify Wrapped Video

The long-appointed Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, is battling claims that her gift to Spotify fans is less genuine and more artificial than intended.

In a clip filmed for the music app’s Wrapped feature, the “eternally 12-year-old” vocalist thanks fans for their unwavering support but appears less than focused and mostly emotionless, leading some to believe the video was AI-generated.

Several of Carey’s beloved “Lambily” members began sharing the promo clip on social media Thursday, displaying the singer wearing a Santa-themed ensemble similar to the one seen on her Merry Christmas album.

“Hey, it’s Mariah,” Carey cheerfully expresses.

“Thanks so much for listening to my music on Spotify. Your support through the years is the greatest gift I could ask for.”

“This year,” she continues, “we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of my album Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy listening to it, and I can’t wait to share new music with you soon. Happy Holidays!”

Carey then blows a festive kiss to the camera and smiles as the clip ends.

As Carey’s Spotify promo made the rounds, several fans noticed how unnatural the “Underneath the Stars” singer appeared throughout the video and wondered if it was made with AI software.

“NGL (not gonna lie), I did think the Spotify message from Mariah was AI for a split-second,” one social media user wrote.

Another user directly noted how stiff Carey seemed in the video.

“This could EASILY be an AI video. Because Mariah baby, where’s your expressions and movements?”

Some of Carey’s fans brought up the singer’s known professionalism to counter the claims and alluded to her possibly reading a script somewhere off-screen.

“I thought this was AI, but then, I saw her eyes move back and forth as she was reading the teleprompter,” they shared.

Another noted Carey’s eyes occasionally glancing off-camera - but equally understood the mass confusion.

“You can tell [this isn’t AI] because you can see her eyes moving as she reads the script,” they noted, “but despite that, there’s something desperately uncanny about this weird video.”

As fans continued to question whether Carey had appeared onscreen with the assistance of AI, the real Mariah caught wind of what was going on and had a hilarious response.

Through a repost of one of her fans alleging that the controversial tool had been used, Carey noted the true blame of what occurred as she filmed the Spotify clip.

“Bad lighting and a red lip have you all thinking this is AI,” she questioned, per The Hollywood Reporter.

“There’s a reason I’m not a fan of either of those things! About to celebrate #Christmastime with my Boston #lambily!”

As she noted in her Spotify Wrapped video, Carey is celebrating three decades of the album Merry Christmas, which initially dropped on October 28, 1994.

On Friday, she graced fans with a digital release of the Deluxe Anniversary Edition, which includes the original 11-track LP, and remastered audio of her 1994 holiday concert at St. John the Divine in New York City.

Carey closes out the expanded album with the fan-demanded video mix of her heart-tugging ballad, “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time),” one of several originals composed for the album.

The collection’s most-recognized standout, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” also celebrates 30 years of release in 2024.

Pushed to radio as the first single of Merry Christmas in 1994, it has stood the test of time, first peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Chart, before reaching the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 25 years after its release and repeating the feat each year following.

As of this writing, it currently sits at No. 10 on this week’s Hot 100 chart with rumors that it will once again hit the top spot in the days leading to Christmas (it’s already reached the peak of the current Billboard Holiday 100 ranking).

Just as she has over the last few years, Carey is now touring the country with a special holiday show, Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time.

Unfortunately, the spirit of the season was less than present at a recent stop, where two male audience members got into a physical altercation as the songbird was closing out the show with her megahit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

As seen in footage taken at the concert, the two men can be seen throwing fists and drinks at one another while another concertgoer films the singer performing on stage.

Another attendee soon joins her, seemingly seeking an out from the drama occurring in front of them.

Merry Christmas, everyone!