UFC CCO Defends AI-Generated Branding

When the first trailer for the UFC Freedom 250 event at The White House was released over UFC 327 weekend, one thing immediately stood out to most people who saw it, it was AI-generated. The shots of Washington D.C, Dana White, and the fighters on the card were all made using AI, which isn't the first time the UFC has embraced artificial intelligence in order to promote its events, and it likely won't be the last.

The UFC's Chief Content Officer Craig Borsari was a recent guest on the "Against The Cage" podcast where he was asked why the company has moved to a more AI-based form of marketing, to which he stated that the UFC production team uses it more as a tool, rather than just using whatever the technology gives out as the final product.

"The way we look at AI is not a substitute for content creation, but rather a way to amplify it. So, if there are things that we can do utilizing AI, it's no different than using maybe a green screen. I mean, it's a technique and technology that is evolving at an incredible rate and I like to tell my team if we're not pushing the envelope and looking for different ways to do things and story tell, then we're not doing our jobs."

Borsari went on to explain that the company wants to use AI to help the staff currently employed by the UFC rather than replacing them, and hopes that it will help produce more innovative ads and trailers in the coming years. "The last thing I want my team to be is stagnant and play on our heels and play it safe so we will continue to look for ways to not only use AI but other technological advances and push the envelope in the way we present our product both on the original production side and the live events side."

Please credit "Against The Cage" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.