Will Smith is under fire after fans criticized him for faking portions of the crowd in a recent promotional video for his "Based on a True Story" tour.
The video, shared on Instagram recently, captures Smith performing his song "You Can Make It."
Near the end of the performance, the video switches to the crowd, where some fans have their supportive signs raised.
One of the signs was written, "'You Can Make It' helped me survive cancer. THX Will,," as reported by The Independent.
Upon closer observation, observers saw the crowd's distortion, such as the hand seemingly merging into the sign.
Members quickly raised suspicions in the comments. "Why are these AI people in the crowd? That's embarrassing," one of them wrote.
Read more: Will Smith's Teenage Trauma, 'Naive' Cheating Theory Resurfaces — And Social Media Is Ruthless
Another commented, "That 'From West Philly' part is clearly AI-generated....pause and look at the crowd."
Not everybody had negative reactions. One of his fans wrote, "You already changed my life @willsmith & now I'm honored to change hundreds of thousands with you on stage. More Love, Joy, and NOISE to the world!!"
The video controversy comes as Smith continues his first-ever headline tour, which launched in June and runs through September.
The actor and rapper released Based on a True Story in March, his first studio album in two decades. The project includes collaborations with Big Sean, Russ, Joyner Lucas, and his son Jaden.
Smith initially hinted at the tour with the album reveal. I'M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!!" he posted on Instagram then..."All these years, I've NEVER done a headline tour and I can't wait to see you guys!!"
The Grammy Award-winning artist, who also recently headlined at the Cabaret Vert Festival in France, has not publicly responded to the A.I. fan claims.
For the moment, the controversy rages on the internet, with part of the fan base being disappointed by what they view as an unjustified application of artificial intelligence, while others are intent on rejoicing at Smith's return to music after his 20-year break.
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