AI In Pro Wrestling: Why It’s Harmful and Dangerous

Like other businesses today in our capitalistic society, the main goal is to maximize profits. WWE is seemingly looking to do this by using AI, artificial intelligence, in its storylines and creative media. Conversations about AI sparked late last year, and Ryan even wrote a piece about it here. The man leading this change is Cyrus Kowsari, a former BuzzFeed producer who also worked at an MMA promotion, ONE Championship. Furthermore, he serves as WWE’s reported liaison to the White House.

WWE’s relationship with the Trump Administration has also received criticism, especially after Paul Levesque visited the White House this past summer. Today, we’ll explain why AI has no place in pro wrestling and why it shouldn’t be normalized.

Past “Experiments”

This is not the first time WWE has experimented with AI. They worked with Writer AI to develop past storylines, but this experiment hasn’t produced well-crafted or meaningful material. One of the questionable results it spun out saw Bobby Lashley potentially returning as someone obsessed with Japanese people and culture. Bobby Lashley no longer works for the WWE, and him becoming a weaboo is… just weird.

Decline in Pro Wrestling’s Storyline Quality

This makes me and many others worried for the future. Not only will storylines go down in quality, their humanity will be stripped away. Writing is a delicate process, and writers, human writers, feel emotion. They know how to create a complex, human, and emotional story that fans relate to. Having a robot churn out horrible stuff like this is bad for the fans, wrestlers, and industry.

What wrestler would want to be associated with an AI story that made them look like an idiot? This will drive fan intrigue and revenue down. Furthermore, AI works by taking from things already published online, which means that, in some shape or form, these potential WWE storylines will be stolen, unoriginal, and plagiarized work.

Environmental and Job Issues

Wrestlers, writers, and HR people could face job losses. Many professionals, such as artists and other writers, have already experienced changes in their work due to the rise of AI. WWE, like many large companies, has previously made workforce adjustments when needed. How its use of AI will affect future employment or operations remains uncertain and depends on how effectively the technology supports its business goals.