Overview

• Waxy.org matched multiple crowd shots in the viral clip to authentic photos and videos from Smith’s recent European festival stops, including Paléo, Gurtenfestival, and Ronquières.
• The analysis suggests Smith’s team likely used image‑to‑video software such as Runway or Google’s Veo 3 to animate stills, producing artifacts like warped faces, extra fingers, and garbled signs.
• YouTube confirmed it is testing image enhancement on select Shorts to unblur and denoise footage, which is not labeled as generative AI, and comparisons show the Instagram version appears cleaner.
• Smith’s post remains online and has drawn widespread criticism from viewers who cited telltale AI anomalies, though some associates publicly defended him.
• Requests for comment to Smith’s representatives have gone unanswered in multiple outlets, and the UK leg of his Based On A True Story tour continues this week.