Overview

• Fans flagged distorted faces, warped limbs and changing signs in the 59‑second thank‑you clip posted to Smith’s YouTube channel.
• Observers including Andy Baio matched people and signs to earlier authentic posts, suggesting a collage of real footage with AI generation or heavy processing.
• TechCrunch reported YouTube had tested automatic unblur and denoise on Shorts, which may have made the Short look more synthetic, and said an opt‑out is coming.
• Smith’s team and spokespeople for Meta and YouTube did not provide comment to outlets, and the video remains online as his U.K. dates continue.
• The dispute broadened when Green Day posted that their crowds do not require AI, adding a high‑profile jab to the backlash.