Commenters are calling for Will Smith for using AI in concert videos.
Posted on YouTube on August 12th, the video features actors and rappers performing on stage in a montage of audiences. The crowd looks real in some shots, but in others it appears to be generated by AI given the prevalence of blurry faces, extra fingers and akinbo limbs.
One YouTube commenter replied, “I like to pause this video and see the crowd approaching too. There's a lot of extra numbers in this crowd.” Another said, “This is uncomfortable for the elderly without glasses. They know they believe this is the most realistic crowd ever.”
Representatives of Smith, his talent agency, CAA, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Smith is currently touring Europe, and the concert video, which had no location specified, looked like a promotion for a new performance.
There is no explanation, but the title is as follows:
Smith released a new album earlier this year based on a true story, but it did not earn any great reviews.
Wild Wild West (AI content generation)
Smith may be someone who gets blowback (or slapback) for this type of AI use, but experts say he is exposed to more AI content from more AI content and online influencers than we know.
“AI is becoming part of the content creation toolkit for many celebrities, influencers and their agency teams,” said Manick Bhan, AI and AI model expert at Search Atlas.
“It's going on more than most people realize. That's just the beginning,” says Van. “It's very difficult to tell what's realistic and what's not within a year.”
Bhan says that not only famous content generators are trying to save money. It allows you to generate content much faster and at scale than other methods. “You can shoot one performance and make it look like 10 different shows with different audiences without leaving the studio,” he says.
While viewers may be upset that the stars are not transparent about their use of AI, Bhan predicts that anger will die as practice becomes more widely accepted. And even those who are happy to watch videos frame by frame to find evidence of AI may not be able to convey the difference much longer.
“Will Smith's video was outstanding because if you were watching closely, the AI crowd was obvious, but technology has evolved so quickly that his team can stop it without recoiling,” says Van.
