Will Smith faces accusations of using AI-generated crowds to promote tour

American actor and musician Will Smith is facing renewed scrutiny from fans amid allegations that he has used artificially generated images of cheering audiences to promote his ongoing concert tour.

The 56-year-old performer, best known for his work in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "Men in Black", is currently on his Based on a True Story Summer Tour, which began on July 13 and is scheduled to conclude in early September. The tour marks Smith’s first headlining solo tour and follows the release of his first full-length album in over two decades.

According to The Sun, questions about the authenticity of Smith’s promotional content emerged after the actor and rapper posted a minute-long video on his official YouTube channel earlier this month.

The footage appeared to depict the artist performing in packed venues, with audience members cheering, waving signs, and displaying emotional reactions. The video was captioned: “My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too.”

However, numerous viewers have alleged that the crowds featured in the footage were artificially generated. One comment, which quickly gained traction, read: “Fake AI crowd, fake comments, bots like. 21k ‘likes’ for Will Smith?” Others expressed scepticism about the size and enthusiasm of the audiences shown in the video, suggesting that the promotional material may have been digitally altered to create the appearance of larger or more engaged crowds.

This controversy follows a separate episode earlier in 2025, when Smith was criticised for a performance with Spanish singer India Martínez, 39, during which the two shared a public kiss on stage. The moment, which occurred shortly before the release of his album in March, prompted backlash online, with many observers labelling the act as “inappropriate,” citing his longstanding marriage to actress Jada Pinkett Smith, 53.

The pair, however, have been separated since 2016, a fact that was made public only in 2023. Despite their separation, they have not filed for divorce.

The revelation added to the public’s complex perception of the actor, particularly in light of his 2022 Oscars altercation, when Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock during the live broadcast after Rock made a controversial joke about Pinkett Smith.

Later that evening, Smith went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams in "King Richard".

By Tamilla Hasanova