Will Smith has been accused of sharing a video that uses AI for shots of crowds cheering at his current summer tour.
The Hollywood actor and rapper kicked off the UK leg of his Based on a True Story tour in Scarborough on Sunday (24 August), in support of his recent album of the same name.
Ahead of the concerts, a video was shared from his official YouTube channel, titled: “My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too.”
In the past week, the clip has been gaining attention as viewers claim it makes heavy use of AI for footage that seemingly shows his adoring fans crying and waving homemade signs.
Some shots show audience members with their faces appearing blurred or distorted, while others seem to have oddly shaped hands, some of which appear to have six fingers.
Another shot shows a man’s knuckle appear to blur along with his sign, which reads: “‘You Can Make It’ helped me survive cancer. THX Will.”
Meanwhile, the woman in front of him is seemingly holding his hand, but the headband of the woman behind her is somehow over her wrist.
The Independent has contacted Smith’s representatives for comment.
Fans in the comments section of the YouTube video have called out the Fresh Prince of Bel Air star for showing what they branded a “fake AI crowd”.
“Imagine being this rich and famous and having to use AI footage of crowds… Tragic, man,” one critic said.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Another wrote: “So not only is this an abomination to look at because it’s low quality phone footage that’s been heavily AI upscaled, but there’s also in-between scenes that are clearly AI-generated,” another said, citing timestamps where the alleged inconsistencies occurred.
“Videographers exist, why abandon quality work for this degenerative slop?” they questioned.
One fan remarked: “I don’t want to be that guy but: You can see many people in the crowd having six fingers or more, eyes smudged, faces are distorted. Proving that certain (well, almost all clips that show the audience) are AI-generated.”
“Hey [Will] these pr stunts are going nowhere,” one fan said. “What kind of sheeple do you think we are bro? You can’t be this ignorant bruh c’mon it’s embarrassing.”
AI is a contentious topic in the music industry, with many artists calling for better protections of their work, and others being called out for using it themselves.
Earlier this month, English rocker Rod Stewart was criticised for what many perceived to be a “disrespectful” tribute to late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne during one of his shows.
The 80-year-old “Maggie May” singer seemingly dedicated his 1988 song “Forever Young” to Osbourne, who died in July aged 76.
Viral footage from his show in Georgia on 1 August showed a video sequence airing on the big screen, with an AI-generated Osbourne posing for selfies with other late stars including Tina Turner, Prince, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson and Kurt Cobain.
Smith released his first album in two decades, Based on a True Story, in March this year. In a two-star review, The Independent called him a “solid rapper” but criticised the frequently “half-baked, corny” lyrics and “vague, hackneyed platitudes about failure and redemption”.
His UK tour continues tonight (Monday 25 August) in Cardiff, before he plays shows in Manchester, London and Wolverhampton.
