Will Smith, 56, has some fans questioning if he used artificial intelligence to feed his ego.
The Grammy Award-winning rapper is currently on tour in Europe to support his “Based on a True Story” album. He has also been vlogging the experience for his YouTube channel.
On Aug. 12, Smith published a one-minute video of his “You Can Make It” performance. The original track features singer Francis “Fridayy” Leblanc and the Sunday Service choir.
“My favorite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too,” Smith titled his YouTube clip.
While the former “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor included real footage from his shows, eagle-eyed viewers claimed parts of the crowd shown in the video seemed to be AI-generated.
For example, a woman who is seen holding a “Take Us Back to Bel-Air” sign in the audience appeared to have six fingers on one hand. Other visual cues, like blurry faces, were pointed to as well.
YouTube commenters had a field day slamming Smith for allegedly using AI to make phony concertgoers. Some people called for the Philadelphia native to retire from the music industry.
“Imagine being this rich and famous and having to use AI footage of crowds and bot comments on your video. Tragic, man. You used to be cool,” one person wrote in reaction to Smith’s tour recap.
A second individual commented, “It’s over, bro. Just enjoy your retirement.” A third disappointed fan added, “It’s equal parts embarrassing as it is hilarious. AI crowd to top it off as well. Sad as hell, lol.”
“Will, come on bro. You’re rich, you don’t need to chase fame anymore,” read another reply. Smith’s infamous on-stage incident with comedian Chris Rock, 60, was brought up when someone posted, “Nobody made you smack him.”
For most of Smith’s entertainment career, the Hollywood and hip-hop legend was viewed as clean-cut and respectable. That public perception changed instantly when he slapped Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in March 2022.
Smith walked on stage inside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and hit Rock across the face during the live broadcast. The unscripted outburst happened after Rock made fun of Smith’s wife, “Girls Trip” actress Jada Pinkett Smith, having a shaved head.
Later in the night, Smith won the Best Actor award for his role in the “King Richard” biopic. However, his violent actions led to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences banning him from all future events for 10 years.
The so-called “Oscar Slap” turned many people off to supporting Smith over his explosive response to Rock’s comedy bit. “Based on a True Story” dropped three years later, and the project was a commercial flop in America.
Smith’s fifth studio LP failed to chart on the Billboard 200, making it his first not to enter the weekly rankings of the most popular albums in the country. Professional critics also panned “Based on a True Story,” evidenced by its 40/100 rating on Metacritic.
“It is a campaign platform, devoid of perspective or style, uninterested in narrative or even spin, but always on message: Please take me back,” Stephen Kearse opined in his Pitchfork review of the project.
Smith was not able to recapture the magic of 1997’s “Big Willie Style” album or 1999’s “Willennium” album, but he was able to turn back the clock to his most popular days as a 1990s blockbuster movie star.
The “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” action comedy arrived in North American theaters in May 2024. Smith reconnected with comedian Martin Lawrence in the fourth installment in the film franchise. The buddy cop motion picture grossed $405 million at the worldwide box office.
In March 2025, Smith kicked off his “Based on a True Story” tour at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. The rap star formerly known as The Fresh Prince broke down in tears during that first show.
Smith reportedly got extremely emotional while reflecting on the birth of his first child, Trey Smith, with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino. The tears continued to flow when he began discussing his “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” co-star James Avery, who passed away in 2013 at 68 years old.
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