TikTok Thinks the Crowd in Will Smith’s Tour Video Is AI

AI has hit the Will Smith concert. The rapper-turned-actor-turned-rapper-again is being accused of padding his tour recap videos with artificially generated fans, giving the impression his tour is a hot ticket to have.

Smith, currently on tour for his first album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, dropped a reel showing arenas packed with screaming fans. The clip is filled with fans holding signs referencing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, fans in Men in Black merch, and even a fan professing that Smith’s music helped them survive cancer. Heartwarming stuff….until TikTok detectives hit pause.

@independent
Will Smith has been accused of sharing a video that uses AI for shots of crowds cheering at his current summer tour. The Hollywood actor and rapper kicked off the UK leg of his Based on a True Story tour in Scarborough on Sunday (24 August), in support of his recent album of the same name. Click link in bio for more 🔗
♬ original sound - Independent - Independent

People didn’t hold back.

“The first clue of this being AI is that there is an audience for a Will Smith concert. That’s not real world,” one commenter wrote.

“What is he touring for? how would this many people possibly care?” someone else asked.

“Will Smith has had an awesome career….but I can’t think of more than 2 people who would even consider a concert of his in 2025,” another person said.

The internet jury wasn’t convinced by Smith’s supposed ticket demand, so much so that forensics-minded skeptics zoomed in on the footage, pointing out crowd faces that looked more like avatars than real people.

He released his comeback album in March. Most of his live shows so far have been festival slots in Europe, though obviously he’s trying to rebrand himself as a must-see performer.

This AI stunt might be the futuristic dystopia he alluded to in iRobot.

The Latest