The UFC is not backing down from its use of artificial intelligence in content creation despite ongoing fan backlash, and the promotion's Chief Content Creator has made the company's position clear.
Craig Borsari addressed the controversy in an interview with the New York Post, framing AI not as a replacement for creative work but as a tool that amplifies what the team is already doing.
"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 maybe using a green screen. I mean, it's a technique and technology that is evolving at a credible rate, and I like to tell my team, 'If we're not pushing the envelope and looking for different ways to do things and storytelling, then we're not doing our jobs. So the last thing I want my team to be is stagnant and play on our heels and play it safe,'" Borsari said.
He was equally direct about the promotion's intentions going forward.
"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, as well as the live event side. We're still relatively in the early stages of AI, and the way we will work with AI isn't just to put in some prompts and take whatever product is spit out and move on. Our editors, our producers, we're going through color-correction, they're using it as a tool to create content."
UFC CEO Dana White had previously addressed the fan backlash following the promotion's AI usage after UFC Seattle with considerably less diplomacy.
"AI is coming, and if we're using AI, who gives a shit? How about this: Shut the f**k up and watch the fights," White said at the time.
Borsari also noted the UFC is exploring advances beyond AI, including new audio technology, as part of a broader push to stay at the forefront of sports media production.
