“Imagine being this rich and famous and having to use AI footage of crowds and bot comments on your video,” another commenter wrote. “Tragic, man. You used to be cool.”
Representatives for Smith have not publicly addressed the criticism. The videos, however, remain online.
The alleged use of AI-generated crowds comes at a delicate moment for Smith, 56, who first broke into music in the mid-1980s as part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The group’s clean, narrative-driven style helped bring rap into the mainstream, with hits like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime” winning a Grammy, which made Smith into one of the most recognizable rap voices of his generation.
After transitioning to acting, Smith’s film career eclipsed his music output, though he continued to release solo albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Tracks such as “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It” and “Miami” cemented his crossover status as one of few rappers who could dominate both the charts and Hollywood box offices. But he has not released a major rap project in more than a decade.
While it makes sense Smith might return to his rap roots to regain control of the narrative surrounding his career, the AI controversy risks undermining that effort. The use of synthetic audiences suggests a lack of confidence in his own drawing power, and this might hurt his attempt to come across as authentic.
