Will Smith most recently set social media on fire with a video of closet, on his European tour. The footage has caused a massive national uproar. At first glance, it appears real enough, but looking closely reveals grotesque artificial distortions. This new development reminds us of the increasingly blurred lines between technology, personal branding, and the entertainment industry.
The video includes a compilation of Smith’s concert performances, with adoring fans screaming and holding up signs. Audiences literally go frame by frame through the footage. They are instantaneously alerted by the onset of digitally morphed smiles, aunts with four fingers, and large heads that ruin their session. Yet these anomalies are clear signs that Smith’s crew employed artificial intelligence. They produced beautiful, colorful content out of previously taken photos that they used on his social media channels.
This practice isn’t exclusive to Smith. Often, video editors process raw footage to create something more engaging to their audience—a microcosm of the entire new media industry. The outcome of this approach can create a gap between what is real and what is represented. The photos on the left of Smith’s post are allegedly AI-generated. In comparison, the photos on the right show what has been uploaded before, displaying the same fans and signs.
Though Smith has had many uplifting experiences as of late, his public reputation has still taken a hit since the widely publicized “slap” attack at the 2022 Academy Awards. This episode has only increased the fair scrutiny surrounding his unearned public image as a progressive. Now, fans are wondering just how real his fan-fan interactions are. As he works his way through this complicated landscape, he’s trying to figure out how best to engage with the audience.
Smith originally uploaded the inflammatory video as a YouTube Short. This decision probably caused audiences to view it as less authentic than comparable content on other platforms. YouTube recently began testing features aimed at enhancing video quality using “traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise, and improve clarity,” which may have inadvertently made Smith’s video seem even more artificial.
At the core of celebgender, this exchange makes it apparent that as digital technology develops, the discourse shifts with it. As Andy Baio pointed out, Smith’s past writings confirm the legitimacy of many of the crowds shown in the AI-generated video. Even as it combines actual footage with AI-augmented imagery, the line between truth and deception gets hazy when considering transparency in social media use.
“My favorite part of the tour is seeing you all up close,” – Will Smith
This sentiment captures his intention to keep things real and authentic with fans despite the digital era making it a more complicated endeavor. Now, stars are using new, highly sophisticated editing tools to control their narratives. This trend may further undermine the line between fact and fiction.
The consequences of such practices go beyond the recognition afforded to individual artists such as Smith. New advances in technology are dramatically transforming how public figures engage with their audiences. With this change underway, conversations around authenticity and representation become increasingly vital. Convergence of Capital & Innovation Forums and events such as TechCrunch’s new Disrupt 2025, scheduled for the Bay Area from October 27-29, 2025, will undoubtedly dive deep into these themes.