Will Smith is facing online backlash after fans accused his team of using AI-generated imagery in a tour promo video that appeared to inflate crowd sizes and fabricate audience shots. The discussion has intensified amid broader industry concerns about artificial intelligence in music.
Promo video draws scrutiny over “fake AI crowds”
According to Euronews, a video shared from Smith’s official YouTube and Instagram accounts, titled “My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too,” has been widely criticized for allegedly heavy use of AI to depict fans and homemade signs. Viewers highlighted distorted details in multiple frames: blurred or melting faces, impossibly warped body parts, and hands showing six fingers. Social media comments under the clip accused the production of using AI footage of crowds and of upscaling low-quality phone video.
The criticism arrives during the UK leg of Smith’s tour, which kicked off in Scarborough, with further dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Wolverhampton before a Paris stop next month. Euronews notes that tickets remain available despite the seemingly packed crowds portrayed in videos.
Industry tensions over AI’s impact on music
Study and artist responses
Euronews reports that the controversy coincides with a period of heightened sensitivity around AI in music. Citing the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the outlet references a recent study estimating that without policy intervention, people working in music could lose more than 20% of their income to AI over the next four years. Deezer has also reported roughly 10,000 AI-generated tracks being submitted to the platform daily, while AI developers in the music sector are set to gain €4 billion, up from €0.1 billion in 2023, according to the same study.
Artists including Nick Cave, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Radiohead, Dua Lipa, Kate Bush and Robbie Williams have publicly called on the UK government to change copyright laws in light of AI’s growth. Euronews points to prior coverage of debates around AI-generated acts, such as the Spotify “Verified Artist” The Velvet Sundown, as part of the ongoing conversation about how generative tools intersect with music creation and promotion.
As the tour proceeds, the disputed promo clip has become a flashpoint for wider questions about authenticity in marketing materials and the role of generative AI in shaping public perception of live events.
