Leo Gillick
The not-so-fresh Prince is still trying to hold on to what shreds of ‘cool’ he has left, but the aging star appears to be failing. Will Smith is now being called out for using AI for some odd reason in his recent tour videos.
Videos by Rare
Will Smith has fallen off somewhat in recent years/decades. His exposed relationship problems were only compounded by his pathetic show of chivalry, slapping Chris Rock. He also failed in attempts at shoehorning his kids into the limelight. He’s also had an embarrassing show recently on the streets of London. They’re all signs that he should probably retire gracefully. It’s over, Prince.
But, he’s still giving it a go, touring some of the worst music I have ever heard from his new album ‘Based On A True Story’. Pitchfork gave it a savage 2.4 out of 10, and honestly, that’s being generous. His tour is rolling out now, and it appears Will Smith may have been using AI to exaggerate the crowds.
The tour appears to be sold out, so why he would need to bolster the crowds using AI is unclear. But, there is always a possibility that the crowds aren’t as packed as the sales say. Also, the AI may not be used to fill empty seats; it could be plastering faces of excitement and joy on an otherwise bored and unimpressed audience.
And The Algorithm Goes Wild
When I first watched the footage from the Will Smith tour, I noticed that something was amiss. It had that uncanny valley element about it that AI is unable to avoid. But, at the same time, it wasn’t immediately obvious as computer-generated.
So, I took another look, paused a few frames, and searched for those too obvious tells. All of them were there. Signs held by audience members, although seemingly sensical, crumbled under scrutiny. Their main phrases were legible, but everything around them was nonsense.
Although the first layer of audience was real, anything past the midpoint had those warped, unreal faces of AI. The waving arms, screaming faces, and singing fans in the Will Smith video are AI. There is no two ways about it.
His or his PR managers’ reasons for using an AI crowd for his tour promotional videos are unclear. There could be a multitude of reasons.
However, thinking they could pass off an AI crowd for a real one is exactly the kind of out-of-touch and desperate behavior we have come to expect from Will Smith, the Past His Prime Prince.
