Will Smith AI Eating Pasta (2023 vs. 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WiTN4TYLG5c
About: "The video became a viral talking point because the first version was comical or nightmarish, depending on your point of view. It very clearly showed the limitations of AI tools available at the time. The video is now seen as a benchmark for AI video success because of the technical challenges involved. The deceptively simple scenario must depict moving hands and chewing along with a range of facial expressions. It also needs to have cutlery and spaghetti that looks realistic" (BBC Bitesize., 2026, 18 February). Context: "The first 'Will Smith eating spaghetti' video was uploaded to an AI Art community forum on Reddit in March 2023.... The video was created using text to video AI video generator 'ModelScope Text To Video Synthesis'. Text to video is a type of AI generation that allows the user to create video from a text prompt - in this case 'Will Smith eating spaghetti'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith_Eating_Spaghetti_test The AI tool uses machine learning to interpret the text and create a video clip, with varying degrees of success" (BBC Bitesize., 2026, 18 February). Criticism: the idea that the clip represents an evolution (from inferior to superior - enabled through advancements in technology) is somewhat technoutopian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_utopianism Bibliography: BBC Bitesize. (2026, 18 February). "How Will Smith eating spaghetti became the 'test' of AI video". https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z4rsmbk ModelScope. (2026, April 17). 'ModelScope Text To Video Synthesis'. https://modelscopeai.com/ Fowler, G. (2024, April 2). Review | I tried the new Google. Its answers are worse. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/01/new-ai-google-search-sge/ Irwin, K. (2024, April). Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC experiment with AI for meal prep. PCMag UK. https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151668/taco-bell-pizza-hut-kfc-experiment-with-ai-for-meal-prep Hutchinson, A. (2024, April 11). TikTok May Enable Brands To Generate AI Bots to Pitch Products. Social Media Today. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-soon-enable-brands-generate-ai-bots-pitch-products/713027/ Dixit, P. (2023, January 31). AI image generators keep messing up hands. Here’s why. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/ai-generated-art-hands-fingers-messed-up Dickson, B. (2023, May 12). How to detect deepfakes and other AI-generated media - TechTalks. Bdtechtalks.Com. https://bdtechtalks.com/2023/05/12/detect-deepfakes-ai-generated-media/ Lajka, A., & Marcelo, P. (2023, March 23). Trump arrested? Putin jailed? Fake AI images spread online. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/ai-misinformation-trump-putin-new-york-42ac9c41c5504d05412b492e48bcaded Dixit, P. (2023a, January 20). “It’s gross to me”: The trio of artists suing AI art generators speaks out. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/ai-art-generators-lawsuit-stable-diffusion-midjourney Nitasha Tiku. (2024, December 10). An AI companion suggested he kill his parents. Now his mom is suing. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/10/character-ai-lawsuit-teen-kill-parents-texas/
