How AI Will Smith eats spaghetti in 2026

Source: Mashable Tech

The “Will Smith Eating Spaghetti” Test as a Benchmark

If you want a glimpse at how far AI video generation has come since 2023, look no further than the “Will Smith eating spaghetti” test, which has basically become the Hello World of generative AI.

Recent Progress (2026)

A Reddit post on r/OpenAI showcases the evolution of the test—from a monstrous, pixelated mess to something far more cinematic, even though the AI nature is still evident. This latest version was created with the Kling 3.0 video generator, developed by Chinese tech company Kuaishou Technology. In the clip, Will Smith sits at a dinner table, not only eating spaghetti but also conversing with a younger man across from him. The dialogue highlights Kling AI’s video‑creation capabilities, making it clear that the video serves as an advertisement while also demonstrating how generative video has matured in a remarkably short period. Three years is a brief span in everyday terms, but in AI development it feels substantial.

The Origin (2023)

The very first AI‑generated “Will Smith eating spaghetti” video was made with ModelScope and struggled to keep the actor’s face consistent across frames. By the following year, the clip had exploded as a meme, prompting Smith himself to poke fun at it on TikTok. He later appeared in a TikTok video that was later suspected of using generative AI.

• Original ModelScope version: Reddit discussion
• Smith’s TikTok reaction: TikTok video
• Example from Veo 3.1 (2025): X post

Current Landscape (2026)

Among today’s major players in video generation—such as Grok, OpenAI, and Google Gemini—passing the spaghetti test has become increasingly difficult. These companies have implemented extremely strict guardrails around third‑party likenesses and copyrighted material, especially as Hollywood intensifies its crackdown on AI models trained on its IP.

• OpenAI’s Sora and Google Gemini’s Veo 3.1 attempts were denied on copyright grounds: Mashable article
• Ongoing legal pressure on AI use of celebrity likenesses: Mashable on Disney’s cease‑and‑desist and Mashable on LeBron James cease‑and‑desist

As more AI generators—particularly those based in the U.S.—pull back on the use of third‑party likenesses, the “Will Smith eating spaghetti” test may be approaching its final chapter.