Another new Will Smith video is making headlines – not for his singing, but for what it could tell us about increasing anarchy of artificial intelligence.
The musician and actor, 55, is under fresh fire after footage of his live rendition of You Can Make It seemed to demonstrate AI “upscaling,” and people debated whether celebrities and influencers are secretly manipulating synthetic media to artificially inflate their popularity.
The video, posted on the internet in late August, is of crowds cheering, weeping, and waving placards while listening to Smith sing. But observant viewers noticed anomalous visual artifacts on the screens – fuzzy faces, twisted hands, and upside-down writing – implying that video software had been manipulated to boost the footage. Most think the purpose was to exaggerate the crowd and make them seem bigger and more emotional than they actually were.
Ironically, this isn’t the first AI controversy Smith has found himself in. Early in 2023, a viral deepfake video of the actor spooling spaghetti into his mouth introduced a wide swath of the globe to the potential of generative AI. Smith had no involvement with that clip, but it became one of the internet’s earliest instances of virality enabled by AI.
This time around, Smith’s so-called use of AI is not so much about highlighting technology but about manipulating perception. “My favorite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too,” Smith wrote in the caption. But to doubters, the AI touch made his message less sincere – making it seem like a final bid to stage adoration.
While creating embarrassment in online memes, experts urge the consequences go far beyond celebrity culture. UC Berkeley professor of digital forensics Hany Farid has warned that AI-generated video as a phenomenon is growing harder to detect. “If more or less anyone can produce content that is this misleading, we are in trouble, as a society and as a democracy,” he stated.
The bigger issue is that video, traditionally the most reliable form of evidence, could quickly lose its reliability. As Photoshop undermined confidence in photographs, and AI image creation has continued to dilute the distinction, fake video could erode our ability to believe what we perceive. For media outlets, brand managers, and election campaigns, the damage could be catastrophic.
But there could be one silver lining: as the medium of video itself becomes more unreliable, the credibility of sources and authenticated creators becomes even more significant. Viewers might no longer trust the medium, but could revert to trusting the messenger.
And in the ultimate irony, it is Will Smith – a performer who based his career on the strength of images, from The Fresh Prince to Men in Black – who now personifies the point where we began to lose faith in them.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
