Will Smith seemed to address the backlash over claims he used AI-generated fans in a tour recap.
On Friday (August 29), the rapper shared a video on Instagram of himself performing on stage, flanked by a row of dancers dressed in dark suits.
Out of nowhere, the camera cuts to a sea of AI-generated cats wildly cheering him on. Some of the furry fans look distorted, with features blurring between human and feline.
“Crowd was poppin’ tonite!!” Smith joked in the caption.
The playful post comes after speculation that Smith had slipped AI-created fans into a montage from his Based on a True Story Tour, sparking debate online.
Reddit users were quick to call out the alleged AI trickery, saying it was most obvious in close-up shots. They pointed to warped faces under a “From West Philly…” sign and strange details in another shot showing people holding a sign that read, “‘You Can Make It’ helped me survive cancer. THX Will.”
“This AI slop is so embarrassing LMAO pause the video and you can see the inconsistent finger lengths and that the cell phones warp in the palm of the hands,” one Instagram commenter wrote.
Others on Reddit argued the glitches could have been caused by image upscaling, which may have distorted the crowd footage.
Green Day appeared to throw a little shade at Will Smith over the AI fan drama.
The band posted a clip from their South American tour, showing real fans packed along the barricade singing every word to their 1994 classic “Basket Case.”
“Don’t need AI for our crowds,” they captioned the video.
