Under Armour's AI Sports Ad Starring Anthony Joshua Ignites Instagram Firestorm

Under Armour recently released a sports commercial featuring boxer Anthony Joshua. However, instead of getting good feedback for the creative work, which was claimed to be the first AI-powered sports ad, it was heavily criticized, and debate erupted on social media, particularly on Instagram.

Tech Crunch reported that the controversial Under Armour AI ad incited heated arguments on AI ethics. Creative professionals in the industry alleged that the commercial's creators used or included the work of others without giving proper credit.

Cash Grab Allegation Using AI

Wes Walker, who directed the commercial, uploaded it to Instagram. In his post, he said it is the first AI-powered ad in sports. ELBLOG.PL mentioned that in the director's original post on IG, he shared that the sports apparel maker asked his team to make a film from "nothing."

"Under Armour asked us to build a film from nothing but existing assets, a 3D model of Anthony Joshua and no athlete access," he explained. "This piece combines AI video, AI photo, 3D CGI, 2D VFX, motion graphics, 35mm film, digital video, and advances in AI voiceover."

Although Walker appears to be proud about making something out of nothing, his post and the resulting film product were met with skepticism. Many criticized him, saying the team created the ad by recycling others' work and not giving them credit. This led to the allegation of a cash grab within the AI hype cycle.

AI Ethics in the Business

Meanwhile, the controversy escalated to a discussion among creatives about ethics in the AI space. Several people expressed concerns about companies' frequent use of artificial intelligence technology.

They argued that this practice only exploits their work since they are not getting credit for their creative contributions. They argued that this can also be considered a copyright violation as they are not getting proper recognition.

Photo by: Under Armour Stories