Whether you agree or disagree, AI has put the world in a rear-naked choke that will be particularly difficult to break. Industry after industry is both frightened and seduced by the siren call of artificial intelligence, whether as a way to improve products and workflows or take hard-working people out of work. Hollywood’s entertainment unions fought hard to stop the technology’s intrusion, but will AI in professional wrestling become a reality?
Most wrestlers are not members of actors’ unions, and WWE in particular has a controversial history with union drives. Some of the ways in which the AI ​​fits into the boundaries of the squared circle are strange, but some may be welcome changes.
I hope this will be a series dedicated to questions about AI and wrestling, but the first post is probably the loftiest one on my AI enhancement wishlist. What happens when sumo wrestlers are no longer needed? What if the talent was computer-generated and all of the professional wrestling on TV was directed and performed by an AI and a few programmers?
It’s not entirely far-fetched to think that such a thing could happen. Fox’s competition “Alter Ego” turned an AI avatar into a pop singer, and technology has grown a lot since then. As the use of AI increases, that show’s fate may become a thing of the past.
Born to fight in the ring
On the surface, professional wrestling is about characters fighting against each other for whatever reason. The basis could be real emotions such as revenge or pride that put two people at odds. This art form is a true story of any form of combat, but fictionalized to avoid serious injury.
Humanity has been fighting for centuries. That is unlikely to change. People don’t claim to like violence, but we see violence as sport.
People have difficulty dealing with the reality that real men and women can and do get injured in sports and sports entertainment. Please enter now love.
We are concerned about the safety of our wrestlers and athletes. That’s partly because they’re human. Someone’s father or sister is risking their own health to vent this deep-seated desire to see violence that we are too nervous to do ourselves. AI technology could theoretically take the guilt out of combat by ensuring two avatars face off instead of humans.
AI can generate full-body avatars with audio, dialogue, scenes, and movement. With enough training content, producers and engineers can code all the elements of a wrestling show and bring them to life with an AI program. That way, we could create entirely new shows and corresponding industry stars without putting anyone at risk of injury.
Realize your dream match with AI
It is often said that the potential of AI is limited by human imagination. This also applies to professional wrestling, where fan imaginations almost exclusively turn to dream matches. Just to name a few: Undertaker vs. Sting, Roman Reigns vs. Bruno Sammartino, Eddie Guerrero vs. Dominic Mysterio (who, according to one theory, is his own son). .
Every era has had its stars. Sadly, most of these stars don’t get to share a ring, and even if they do, it’s not in their prime. In situations like Ultimate Warrior vs. Big E, neither wrestler is able to compete and is almost better than the wrestler they replace. A match like Shawn Michaels vs. Will Ospreay, with both men in their prime, could be the greatest match of all time.
AI may make that a reality.
Instead of creating entirely new shows, titles, and rosters, established companies can also use AI to create once-in-a-lifetime matches, or even entire cards for them. Promotions like WWE and NJPW have back catalogs and deep lore that could put something like this to good use. This event could advertise itself as a kind of tournament.
They can promise that a group of performers who have never met in our world will fight for supremacy in a world built entirely with AI. The arena changes to suit the style and atmosphere of different eras. We’ll see stars from decades ago under the bright lights of modern stadium wrestling shows.
Similarly, we were able to watch living legends compete during a time when wrestling had humble origins. In such cases, their physical presence is the only way to get through.
AI in professional wrestling alongside real stars
AI in professional wrestling could create new shows and new superstars, but does it have a role in today’s products? AI can and has been used in the past to enhance video content. Ta. As a creative tool, AI can create graphics for individual characters on the fly using colors and images associated with the superstar.
This feature allows even entrances and backstage promotions to feel very relevant to the show fans are watching at home. What if all the graphics associated with Jey could capitalize on the first time Jey Uso got the “yate” of all things?
This allows fans to see feedback on the show almost instantly. In doing so, the writer will almost certainly enhance the characters to suit the audience.
.@ShinukeN’s message to @RealLAKnight was the perfect distraction. @EscobarWWE made the most of it 👊 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/dcHVdpQaVh
— WWE (@WWE) November 23, 2024
AI will be able to leverage algorithms to measure and review crowd reactions and change stories and promotions on the fly. Pro wrestling fans have seen the explosion of talent many times before. Maybe you’re nervous, or maybe you’re not done talking about the live audience yet.
The ability for productions to use AI to instantly change direction based on these factors could be a real game-changer. First, if the crown rebels, inexperienced talent can help get back on track. That alone makes it an important tool.
Second, and most importantly, creative teams will be able to quickly engage with fans based on their reputation in the arena and on social media. This will allow televised wrestling’s creative teams to harness the power of people.
Can professional wrestling AI really be used on TV?
The big question is whether any of these will work, and the answer is probably not. It certainly doesn’t work now. AI cannot and may never be able to capture the emotions of performers.
The fact that they are real people doing truly incredible things is definitely part of the appeal of the ring side of this business. As a novelty, there’s a chance they might try to make a dream match happen once or twice in a big promotion, but I hope they live up to the expectations of the fans. In the best case scenario, it would look like a match from WWE 2K24.
The worst case scenario could be worse. Its use in real-time programs is also somewhat questionable. Importantly, changing the entire story on the fly will affect many other people.
Also, as the internet has shown time and time again, AI is not perfect. If “Yeet” had been “Jeey” or a combination of the slogan and its star, it would have really ruined the moment and would be hard to fix right away. AI may still be useful in wrestling, but it’s not yet ready for prime-time television.
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