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


Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum Reconsiders Early School Closure Plan Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Fast Retailing Raises Full-Year Forecast After Uniqlo Owner Beats Q3 Profit Estimates
Bernstein Names IAG, Ryanair as Top European Airline Stocks Ahead of Earnings
Republican Lawmakers Urge National Guard Role for World Cup Drone Security
FIFA Faces Investigation Over 2026 World Cup Ticket Pricing and Seat Allocation Issues
Elon Musk Says Anthropic Leads AI Race as Claude Models Challenge OpenAI
NBA Returns to China with Alibaba Partnership and Historic Macau Games
Zhipu AI Raises HK$31.37 Billion in Discounted Share Sale to Accelerate AI Growth
SK Hynix Prices Record U.S. ADR Offering at $149 After $200 Billion Investor Demand
Citi Raises TSMC Price Target as AI Chip Demand Strengthens Growth Outlook
Meta CEO Zuckerberg Says AI Agent Development Has Slowed Despite Massive AI Investment
Oil and LNG Tankers Turn Back as Strait of Hormuz Security Risks Escalate
Trump Threatens Stadium Deal Over Washington Commanders Name
Trump Plans New Executive Order to Address Rising NIL Costs in College Sports
Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong Expected to Meet Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on AI and Chip Partnership
Bain Capital Exits Kioxia After AI-Fueled Valuation Surge
SK Hynix’s $28B U.S. IPO Draws Strong Demand as AI Chip Boom Fuels Investor Interest 



