Will Smith is under fire from fans who accuse the Hollywood star of using artificial intelligence to create fake crowd scenes in a publicity video for his current summer tour. The mishap led to heated arguments over authenticity and the growing use of AI in entertainment.
The actor and rapper recently kicked off the UK leg of his “Based on a True Story” tour in Scarborough on Sunday, supporting his first album in two decades. To promote the concerts, Smith’s official YouTube channel released a video titled “My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too.”
But keen-eyed viewers soon saw something was amiss with the crowd shots. The video has been going viral on the internet for the past week since fans picked up on tell-tale markers of AI editing throughout the entire video clip.
Will Smith’s Alleged AI-Generated Crowd Footage Sparks Outrage Among Fans
The most obvious red flags are in the alleged shots of Smith’s adoring fans. There are a number of audience members whose faces are blurred or strangely distorted, and some who have the characteristic AI mistake of too many fingers – some of them seem to have six fingers, not five.
One of the more disconcerting moments is when a man stands in front of a sign that says, “‘You Can Make It’ helped me survive cancer. THX Will.” While the sentiment itself is tear-inducing, audience members caught on to the fact that his knuckle appears to blur artificially with the sign.
Stranger yet, the woman standing in front of him is seemingly holding his hand, but a woman standing behind her has somehow managed to slip a headband onto her wrist – a physical impossibility that screams AI fabrication.
These visual artifacts are typical signatures of contemporary AI video technology, which tend to struggle with sophisticated scenes featuring multiple individuals and overlapping objects.
The criticism by Smith’s fans has been quick and merciless. The YouTube video comments indicate shared outrage and disorientation at how a successful performance can sink so low as to pay for staged crowds.
“Think about being this famous and wealthy and having to stoop to this AI crowd footage… Sad, man,” one commenter posted, and they were not alone in feeling this way.
Another viewer provided a more detailed technical analysis: “Not only is this an eyesore because it’s low-quality phone footage that’s been heavily AI upscaled, but there’s also some in-between shots that are clearly AI-generated.” They even provided exact times stating where the alleged discrepancies are.
The “AI Crowd Controversy” in the entertainment industry
The criticism is not just in catching the AI use. Fans are asking why Smith would opt for artificial enhancement rather than a genuine recording of his real crowds. “Videographers are available, why give up on good work for this degenerative slop?” one of them wondered.
This is in response to AI use in entertainment that is becoming increasingly contentious. The music industry is especially experiencing artificial intelligence issues, with several artists demanding greater protection of their work while others are being accused of accepting the technology.
Rock legend Rod Stewart was recently subjected to a similar sort of backlash for what his fans called a “tasteless” AI-generated tribute to the late Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne. Stewart’s tribute included artificially created Osbourne taking selfies with late music icons, which was considered offensive by many.
For Smith, whose fortunes were built on charisma and actual rapport with the public, the AI crowd controversy is central to creating the live show distinctive. The “Based on a True Story” tour title is made nearly ironic when promotional images are reported to depict artificial crowds rather than actual fan engagement.
Independent has reached out to officials of Smith for comment, but nothing has been received as of yet.
Smith’s UK tour continues with upcoming dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, and Wolverhampton. Whether the controversy will affect ticket sales or if Smith will comment on the charges is unknown.
The crash raises larger issues the entertainment industry is struggling with as AI technology continues to improve and become more accessible. While the tools open up new creative doors, they also bring fundamental issues about authenticity and the relationship between creators and their audiences.
