WWE is once again facing criticism over its apparent use of artificial intelligence after eagle-eyed fans spotted an embarrassing error during Saturday night's Night of Champions PLE.
While promoting August's two-night SummerSlam, viewers noticed that the on-screen graphic listed the event as taking place in "Minnesoba" rather than Minnesota. The blatant typo immediately went viral on social media, with many fans pointing to it as another example of the downside of relying on AI-generated promo material.
The mistake may seem minor on its own, but it has reignited an ongoing debate surrounding WWE's increasing reliance on AI-generated content. Many fans have argued for months that the company's promotional posters feature telltale signs of AI, leading to complaints about their generic composition, strange details (like the elongated WWE logo below), and a lack of WWE's distinctive style.
WWE has also come under fire for using AI in video packages. For years, the company received praise for those. Unfortunately, AI-generated imagery has been prevalent in them for some time now, starting with Chad Gable's introduction as El Grande Americano (where AI was used to show the character's history as a Mexican luchador).
Now, this "Minnesoba" error has only added fuel to those complaints. Social media was quickly flooded with jokes and memes, while others questioned, AI or not, how a promotion the size of WWE could allow such an obvious mistake to make it onto television. Some argued that even if AI is used during the creative process, basic proofreading should have caught the error long before the graphic went out on live TV.
It's not a good look for a multi-billion-dollar company to be hit with accusations of cutting corners rather than investing in traditional artists and designers who had previously created memorable posters and promos for WWE's biggest shows of the year. Still, it's not as if they're alone on this.
For many companies, artificial intelligence has become an increasingly common tool in marketing, graphic design, and content creation, but its adoption continues to divide opinion. While AI is viewed as a way to reduce costs and speed up production, critics argue that it often produces lower-quality work while replacing the creativity and attention to detail that come from human artists.
Whether the SummerSlam graphic was created entirely with AI or simply enhanced using AI tools, the typo doesn't reflect well on WWE and comes at a time when fans are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the company's offerings.