Will Smith Doubles Down On Fake AI Crowd, Trolling Critics With New Bizarre Clip

Will Smith is taking a bold move and leaning into critics who slammed him for using AI to generate fake crowds for his concerts.

The actor and rapper posted a video on Instagram showcasing another brazen use of AI to create human-animal-like creatures as attendees at his concert. 

Smith recently attempted to make a comeback in the music industry, but his album reportedly flopped, struggling to gain sales. 

On August 29, Smith posted a clip on Instagram seemingly taken from one of his concerts. He could be seen performing and running across the stage in front of his backup dancers, while hyping the crowd up, shouting, "Y'all ready?!"

The video then panned to the crowd, showing members of the audience. At first glance, they appeared as normal people raising their hands and cheering. However, on a closer look, they morphed into cats edited onto human beings' bodies. 

The obviously AI-generated video was captioned: "Crowd was poppin' tonite!!" 

Smith posted the video as a way of poking fun at his AI accusations. However, some fans were still not having it. 

One fan argued that he only posted the video in a bid to cover up his tracks. The fan wrote, "Nah, you got caught using AI on the first one and tried to come up with this… [you] in fact are acting bizarre, Mr action star." 

Another fan commented that Smith's time in the spotlight is "done," and as such, he just needs to stay away. A third user wrote penned, "There's no way to escape the guilt of having fake crowds, so you just play into it. Not sure if that's really a win."

On the other hand, one person believes the Oscar winner handled the situation appropriately. The commenter wrote, "I love the way Will handles these haters lmao." 

Last month, Smith earned backlash after sharing a video on YouTube flaunting the seemingly large crowd that attended one of the concerts in his summer tour. In the caption, he wrote that his "favorite part" of performing on tour was seeing his fans up close. 

As reported by The Blast, eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that the video had been AI-enhanced to make the crowd appear larger than it was in real life. 

One fan wrote that it was "tragic" how the American actor had to use AI footage despite being rich and famous. Another fan mocked the 56-year-old rapper, writing that he just needs to stay off the stage and "enjoy" his retirement.

After staying nearly 20 years without releasing an album, the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star made an unexpected comeback into the industry with the release of "Based On A True Story."

The full-length album, dropped earlier this year, comprised 14 tracks with several big-name features, including stars such as his son, Jaden Smith, Big Sean, and Teyana Taylor.

As reported by The Blast, despite the star-studded collaborations, the album had only 36 digital downloads. It sold only 268 physical copies within the first week of its release in the UK. 

The album also reportedly failed to make it to the Billboard 200 in the US. 

News of Smith's struggling album sales comes amidst reports that he is facing major financial pressure due to mounting bills. 

The Blast reported that the "Men In Black" actor was forced to sell a five-bedroom mansion in Maryland for $795,000 to ease his financial burden. He has also reportedly listed a house in Woodland Hills for $2 million.

Information from an insider confirms that Smith and his wife are slowly crumbling under the weight of the mounting finances and may not be able to hold out for much longer. 

As it stands, the rapper and his wife are living in separate homes. However, he is still reportedly paying the bills for both houses, which likely contributes to his financial woes.