Will Smith has found himself at the centre of artificial intelligence controversy following the release of footage from his comeback ‘Based on a True Story’ tour.
Sharp-eyed viewers have spotted peculiarities in crowd shots that suggest digital manipulation may have been employed to enhance audience appearances, reports Rolling Stone.
The tour footage, compiled from various shows, features what appears to be distorted and blurred faces amongst genuine concert-goers. One particular shot shows fans holding a sign reading “We <3 You Willy”, but surrounding faces display the telltale signs of AI generation – including extra fingers and oddly formed hands that have become synonymous with artificial intelligence imaging errors.
The accusations against Smith arrive during a period when AI manipulation has become increasingly sophisticated yet detectably flawed. These visual inconsistencies have prompted speculation that the actor may have used artificial intelligence to artificially inflate or enhance crowd shots for promotional purposes.
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However, the situation may not be as straightforward as initially assumed. YouTube has been accused of implementing AI upscaling on videos without creators’ knowledge or consent. This process automatically enhances image resolution and detail, potentially creating the distortions viewers have identified in Smith’s tour footage.
YouTuber Rhett Shull recently disclosed his concerns about this practice to The Atlantic, explaining his belief that YouTube’s AI upscaling could damage creator credibility. “I think it’s gonna lead people to think that I am using AI to create my videos. Or that it’s been deepfaked. Or that I’m cutting corners somehow,” Shull stated. “It will inevitably erode viewers’ trust in my content.”
The distinction between intentional AI use and platform-driven manipulation has become increasingly blurred as artificial intelligence permeates digital content creation. The music industry has witnessed numerous instances of AI-generated material, from entirely fabricated bands to synthetic songs appearing on major streaming platforms.
Last month, The Velvet Sundown gained viral attention after appearing on popular Spotify playlists, later revealing themselves as “a synthetic music project guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced, and visualised with the support of artificial intelligence.” The band described their work as “an ongoing artistic provocation designed to challenge the boundaries of authorship, identity, and the future of music itself in the age of AI.”
Artists across the industry have voiced concerns about AI’s environmental impact and creative implications. SZA has specifically criticised AI programs like ChatGPT and Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot for consuming vital resources during operation.
The internet has become saturated with AI-generated content, from fake photographs of music legends to completely fabricated scenarios. Recent examples include artificially created images depicting Mick Jagger, Elton John, and Rod Stewart harmonising at Ozzy Osbourne’s memorial service – events that never occurred.
