Will Smith set off a fire this week after uploading a short video to Instagram and YouTube shorts showing the crowds at some of his recent concerts. Some fans quickly noticed a discrepancy in the clip that suggested that Will Smith's team might have used the generated AI to create fake videos. TechCrunch and blogger Andy Baio point out that Smith uploaded clips feature signs of videos that have been created or modified with AI. But the crowd depicted in the clip is real, as many AI-based signs and individuals are depicted inside.
The explanation seems even more complicated than Will Smith relying on AI to create a video showing a fake crowd. Baio conducted a detailed analysis suggesting that Will Smith's team may have used AI to turn photos from a recent concert into video. Such products are generally readily available. In fact, Google recently announced a new VEO 3 photo to video feature that allows users to turn static images into videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-4de-zntt4
But there is another factor that may work against Will Smith in this AI controversy. Google recently conducted an experiment with YouTube shorts using AI (machine learning) to improve the quality of shorts without asking authors for permission. People complained that the video appears to be AI-generated. Will Smith's YouTube shorts clip, which attracted criticism from fans this week, may have been the victim of the experiment.
Why people believe Will Smith's concert video is AI-generated
“My favorite part of the tour is seeing you nearby,” Will Smith says in the caption of the clip. “Thank you for meeting me too.” The video is only a minute long, showing the artist singing while on a tour of Europe in front of a large crowd. The clip focuses on fans and some of the signs they displayed. One of these signs shows a man who says Will Smith's music helped him to endure cancer. However, the man's face appears dimly lit on YouTube, with one of his hands appearing to be fused with the woman's hand in front of him. Another symbol indicates an unreadable word that appears to be generated by AI. Another sign “lov u fresh prince” changes to “lov u fr6sh cunting” later in the clip.
These details sparked a backlash. Fans thought Will Smith had fake the crowd on his show. But Andy Bio analyzed Will Smith's social media content and tried to explain what happened. The signs are real. The man who insisted on Will Smith's song helped him cure cancer. The woman in front of him had a sign with him. The “Lov U” sign appeared in a photo the singer posted to her social media channels before the clip was shared.
Are YouTube shorts responsible?
Baio speculates that he used Will Smith's team to convert some of these photos into videos using AI and integrated them into longer clips. This has resulted in unnecessary visual effects, which are indications of AI use. However, Baio says that YouTube Shorts AI experiments could also be nothing more than a obstacle here as Google automatically uploads them to their shorts and looks completely AI-generated videos.
The same clips uploaded to Instagram look more natural. This is because machine learning was not used to enhance details and smooth faces. Baio posted a comparison side-by-side on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx5gzismebi
Aside from plausible excuses, the backlash is understandable, given the rise in AI-generated content posted online. Will Smith has not denied the use of AI in these promotional clips. As a reminder, not all generation AI tools have visible watermarks, allowing viewers to let you know that content has been created with AI. Google did not disclose YouTube experiments until people complained. Even Netflix used AI on television shows without disclosing practice beforehand.
