Overview

• Smith shared the highlights clip on his official YouTube and Instagram accounts with the caption, “My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too.”
• Viewers cited blurred or distorted faces, oddly shaped hands or apparent extra fingers, and a frame where a fan’s knuckles and sign appear to merge.
• Comments on YouTube and Reddit criticized the footage as using synthetic imagery, with some calling it a “fake AI crowd” and “pathetic.”
• The Independent and NME reported the allegations and said they had contacted Smith’s representatives for comment, and no independent forensic confirmation has been presented.
• The debate comes as the music industry weighs AI’s impact, with studies warning of income losses and platforms reporting heavy AI-generated uploads, while Smith’s UK dates proceed in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Wolverhampton this week.