WWE Unveils AI Storytelling: A Bold Leap or Creative Risk? (2025)

WWE Embraces AI Storytelling: A Bold Leap or a Creative Risk?

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is making an unprecedented shift by integrating artificial intelligence into its creative process. The company has hired a Senior Director of Creative Strategy specifically to lead this transition and even using AI to write storylines for its programming. Announced in October 2025, this move marks the first time a major sports entertainment company has formally appointed an executive to oversee AI-driven content creation, signaling a new era in which technology could reshape how wrestling narratives are conceived, produced, and delivered to millions of fans worldwide.

The AI Push: Who, What, and How

Who

WWE has brought on Cyrus Kowsari as its Senior Director of Creative Strategy, tasked with integrating AI into storytelling and content creation across the company. Kowsari will manage AI storytelling initiatives and serve as a liaison to external stakeholders, including government bodies, as WWE’s parent company TKO and its executives, like Triple H, expand their roles beyond traditional wrestling operations.

What

The initiative involves deploying AI platforms—including Writer AI, which has already ingested WWE’s extensive content library—to generate pitches, storylines, and even segments for WWE programming. Early reports indicate that AI-generated pitches have included controversial and logistically impossible scenarios, such as a storyline where Bobby Lashley, now with rival All Elite Wrestling, returns to WWE obsessed with Japanese culture—a concept that has raised eyebrows for its potential insensitivity and narrative implausibility.

How

AI video generation models like OpenAI’s Sora and Runway Gen-4 are now capable of producing highly realistic, narrative-coherent video content, allowing for the creation of virtual wrestling personalities with distinct backstories and visual styles. These tools enable “character consistency” across multiple scenes and offer intelligent guidance on scene composition and narrative flow, akin to having a digital film director. The integration of such technology is expected to streamline content production, reduce reliance on human writers, and open new monetization avenues through unique AI-created characters and community-driven content.

Industry Context and Technological Backdrop

The wrestling industry has long relied on over-the-top characters, dramatic story arcs, and visually dynamic performances. WWE’s move to AI-driven storytelling reflects broader trends in entertainment, where advanced AI models are increasingly used to generate scripts, videos, and even entire virtual personas. The technology has matured to the point where it can maintain character consistency and thematic depth—key ingredients for successful wrestling narratives.

However, WWE’s foray into AI comes at a time when the company’s creative output has faced criticism for being stale or formulaic. Some fans and industry observers question whether AI can inject the spontaneity, emotional resonance, and cultural sensitivity that human writers bring to the table. Early examples of AI-generated pitches have done little to assuage these concerns, with some ideas dismissed as tone-deaf or logistically unworkable.

Fan and Industry Reaction

The announcement has sparked intense debate among wrestling fans and commentators. Online forums and social media are flooded with skepticism, with many expressing alarm that WWE is prioritizing AI over investment in human creative talent. Critics argue that the essence of professional wrestling—its humanity, improvisation, and connection with live audiences—cannot be replicated by algorithms. Others see the move as inevitable, given the rapid advancement of AI in entertainment and the pressure on companies to innovate and cut costs.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer highlighted the significance of the hire, noting that WWE’s leadership views AI integration as an “inevitable” step in the evolution of sports entertainment. However, the initial reception suggests that fans are wary of a future where storylines feel manufactured or lack the emotional authenticity that has defined WWE’s most memorable moments.

Implications for the Future of Wrestling

Creative Control and Authenticity

The use of AI raises fundamental questions about creative control. While AI can generate ideas at scale, it may struggle with the nuance, cultural context, and emotional depth required for compelling storytelling. Early pitches suggest that AI-generated content risks being out of touch or offensive, underscoring the need for rigorous human oversight.

Monetization and Innovation

On the flip side, AI opens new possibilities for monetization. Virtual wrestlers, AI-crafted personas, and fan-driven content could create fresh revenue streams and engage audiences in novel ways. Platforms like ReelMind.ai demonstrate how AI can empower creators to build unique characters and share them with global communities, potentially revitalizing WWE’s product for a new generation.

Workforce Impact

The shift toward AI could reshape the role of writers and creative staff in WWE. While some fear job displacement, others speculate that human creatives will remain essential for refining AI output, ensuring quality, and preserving the “human spirit” that fans cherish.

Visual Elements

• Official WWE Logo with AI Overlay: A composite image showing the iconic WWE logo infused with circuit patterns or neural network motifs, symbolizing the merger of wrestling and artificial intelligence.
• Cyrus Kowsari Official Headshot: A professional photo of the newly appointed Senior Director of Creative Strategy, sourced from WWE’s official channels or reputable wrestling news outlets.
• AI-Generated Wrestling Promo Screenshot: A screenshot from an AI video generation platform (e.g., ReelMind.ai, Sora, or Runway Gen-4) depicting a virtual wrestler in a WWE-style promo, highlighting the realism and consistency achievable with current technology.
• Fan Reaction Social Media Mosaic: A curated collage of tweets and forum posts expressing both excitement and concern over WWE’s AI direction, capturing the polarized fan response.

Conclusion

WWE’s pivot to AI-based storytelling represents a bold experiment at the intersection of technology and entertainment. While the potential for innovation and efficiency is clear, the risks to creative authenticity and fan connection are equally significant. As the company navigates this uncharted territory, the wrestling world will be watching closely to see whether AI can truly deliver the drama, emotion, and spectacle that define sports entertainment—or if the “human spirit” of wrestling proves impossible to algorithmically replicate.

The success of this initiative will hinge not just on technological capability, but on WWE’s ability to balance automation with the irreplaceable touch of human creativity. For now, the squared circle’s future looks increasingly digital, but the ultimate judge—the live audience—remains resolutely human.