Will Smith is under fire after fans accused him of using artificial intelligence to generate crowd footage for a recent Instagram post promoting his “Based On A True Story Tour.” The video, shared on August 12th, depicts Smith performing his motivational song “You Can Make It” to a seemingly massive and enthusiastic audience, complete with waving signs and fans singing along.
Fans Point Out Unnatural Distortions
The clip shows Smith interacting with the crowd, even climbing a barricade as the camera pans to cheering concertgoers. Many fans, however, quickly questioned the authenticity of the audience, citing unnatural elements such as extra fingers, distorted faces, and inconsistent hand shapes – common indicators of AI-generated content. “Imagine using AI and generating a sign about Cancer. This is absolute [clown] behavior,” one user commented.
Another user added, “An AI crowd being posted on the official page is maaaad embarrassing.” The criticism continued with comparisons like “Fresh Prince of A.I. – The Bounce Back. This is awful,” and “This use of AI is INSANE and downright sad.” While some suggested the visual anomalies might be due to upscaling lower-resolution footage, the prevailing sentiment among critics is that the content is artificially generated.
Tour Continues Amidst Controversy
Smith has not yet publicly addressed the accusations. The footage likely originated from one of his recent European tour stops, possibly Smukfest in Denmark or Dreambeach Festival in Spain. Despite the controversy, Smith is continuing the UK leg of his tour, with upcoming shows scheduled in Manchester, London, Wolverhampton, and Paris.
What are your thoughts on the use of AI in promotional content? Do you think Will Smith’s video is AI-generated or a result of video upscaling? Share your opinions in the comments below!