Will Smith has been hit with accusations of using artificial intelligence to fabricate fans in a new highlights video from his ongoing tour, reports NME.
The actor and rapper is currently travelling in support of ‘Based On A True Story’, his first album in two decades, released in March. Ahead of his UK shows, Smith uploaded a montage to Instagram showcasing energetic crowds and heartfelt moments from recent gigs.
“My favourite part of the tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too,” he captioned the post.
But online observers have been quick to suggest that not all of the footage is authentic. Several shots appear to show audience members with distorted or blurred features, including misshapen hands and extra fingers: hallmarks of AI-generated imagery.
One man is pictured holding a sign that reads “‘You Can Make It’ helped me survive cancer. THX Will,” yet his knuckles appear to blur into the cardboard. In another frame, a woman’s headband appears to morph into someone else’s wrist.
The video sparked debate across Reddit, where one commenter branded it “pathetic” while another claimed it resembled “image upscaling gone horribly wrong,” adding that the fans looked like “melted waxwork” versions of real people.
The controversy comes amid heightened concerns over AI’s encroachment in music. A recent report warned that industry professionals could lose up to a quarter of their income to the technology within four years.
Streaming platform Deezer has said it now receives about 10,000 AI-created songs daily, roughly 10% of its uploads. In some cases, AI music has even been uploaded under the names of deceased artists on Spotify.
Musicians including Elton John, Dua Lipa, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Florence Welch, Kate Bush and Robbie Williams have already urged the UK government to strengthen copyright protections against AI exploitation.
Elsewhere, SZA criticised users for being “codependent on a machine,” and filmmaker James Cameron cautioned that the technology might push humanity toward a real-life Terminator scenario.
