Green Day is throwing some sly shade at Will Smith. The punk rock legends posted a new Instagram photo with the caption: “Don’t need A.I. for our crowds” — a not-so-subtle jab at Smith, who’s facing online backlash for allegedly using AI-generated audiences in a tour promo video.
I LOVE GREEN DAY SO MUCH pic.twitter.com/HQAfkdyAoZ
— billie's long lost son 🎸 (@unamedperson222) August 28, 2025
The controversy began when Smith uploaded a YouTube clip promoting his live performances of “You Can Make It.” While the video was meant to showcase packed venues, eagle-eyed fans quickly pointed out strange details: distorted hands, morphing signs, and faces with the shiny, plasticky look that often gives away AI fakery.
— 🃏🐝 (@TheUndisputedJB) August 28, 2025
One especially awkward shot showed a fan holding a sign reading, “‘You Can Make It’ helped me survive cancer. Thx Will,” but the person’s hand appeared fused with another, while a third hand floated behind them. In another moment, a sign that originally said “Lov U Fresh Prince” warped into “Lov U Fr6sh Crince.” Viewers didn’t hold back, blasting Smith for resorting to what many dubbed “AI slop.”
“Imagine being this rich and famous and having to use AI footage of crowds and bot comments on your video,” one commenter wrote. “Tragic, man. You used to be cool.”
The pushback comes amid a wider unease with AI in entertainment, where fans often view its use as inauthentic or tasteless. Recently, Rod Stewart drew criticism for showing an AI-generated video of deceased stars in “heaven” during a concert, while CNN’s Jim Acosta faced outrage after interviewing an AI recreation of a Parkland shooting victim.
Smith has not responded to the AI allegations, and it’s unclear whether the footage truly is ai-generated. Still, Green Day’s dig has only amplified the discourse, highlighting the difference between rock bands boasting real, sweaty fans — and pop icons who may be leaning on technology to fill the seats.