Will Smith has come under fire after fans accused him of using artificial intelligence to create footage of cheering crowds in a promotional video for his summer tour. The Hollywood star and rapper shared the clip on his official YouTube channel ahead of the UK leg of his Based on a True Story tour, which kicked off in Scarborough on Sunday.
Viewers claim the video, titled 'My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too,' contains several shots that appear to be AI-generated. Alleged inconsistencies include audience members with blurred or distorted faces, oddly shaped hands, and six fingers. One shot shows a man's sign reading 'You Can Make It helped me survive cancer. THX Will' with a blurring knuckle, while a woman's headband appears over another person's wrist.
Fans in the comments section were quick to criticise. 'Imagine being this rich and famous and having to use AI footage of crowds… Tragic, man,' one wrote. Another said: '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.' One viewer added: 'You can see many people in the crowd having six fingers or more, eyes smudged, faces are distorted.'
The controversy adds to ongoing debates about AI in the music industry. Earlier this month, Rod Stewart faced criticism for an AI-generated tribute to late Ozzy Osbourne during a concert, which fans called 'disrespectful.' Smith released his first album in two decades, Based on a True Story, in March; The Independent gave it a two-star review, calling him a 'solid rapper' but criticising the 'half-baked, corny' lyrics.
The Independent has contacted Smith's representatives for comment. The tour continues tonight in Cardiff, with further dates in Manchester, London, and Wolverhampton.
