Will Smith accused of using AI crowd on promotional tour clip

Will Smith has been accused of using AI-generated footage of cheering crowds in a promotional tour clip. 

The US actor and musician had posted the clip via YouTube Shorts earlier this month (August 12) to mark the end of the US leg of his 'Based on a True Story' tour, with the caption: "My favourite part of the tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me, too."

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However, this week, eagle-eyed social media users spotted several irregularities in the clip, including excessive hands and fingers on crowd members and “melting faces.” 

While The Independent spotted a number of nonsensical words on placards, including one that reads: “‘You Can Make It’ helped me survive cancer. THX Will” — leading to speculation over whether the video was created by AI. 

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Smith has yet to comment on the video, with the Based on a True Story tour now underway on its UK leg, featuring shows in London, Wolverhampton, and Manchester this week.

You can view the clip below.