Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics drew criticism for AI-generated promotional content featuring Sabrina Impacciatore, raising brand safety concerns as advertisers confront quality issues.
The Olympic Games this week drew widespread criticism after posting AI-generated promotional content featuring Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore to social media, sparking accusations that the organization failed to support human animators while deploying obviously artificial imagery for one of the world's most prestigious sporting events.
Italian actor and 'The White Lotus' star Sabrina Impacciatore steps up to unfold the passion, drama, and achievement of the Winter Olympic Games. 🫶#OpeningCeremony | #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/aTNFG49bLg
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 6, 2026
The content, which appeared on the Olympics' X account showcasing Impacciatore - known for her role in "The White Lotus" - generated immediate negative reactions from viewers who identified characteristic signs of AI generation including unnatural visual artifacts and unconvincing animation quality. Hundreds of responses flooded the post within hours, with commenters describing the material as "AI slop," "embarrassing," and disrespectful to professional animators.
The controversy arrives as advertising professionals confront mounting tensions around AI-generated content quality and brand safety. Research from Integral Ad Science released in December 2025 found 61% of media experts excited about AI-generated content opportunities while 53% simultaneously identified unsuitable adjacencies as their top 2026 challenge.
Multiple commenters specifically identified technical problems with the AI-generated content that undermined its professional presentation. "Using poor AI when you could just employ a dedicated designer?" wrote Freeman Design, echoing widespread frustration about the Olympics choosing automated content generation over human creative talent.
The visual quality issues became a primary point of criticism. "WTF is this? This is bad even for AI for Christ sake. Don't you people have art directors who know what they are looking at when they see it?" wrote one commenter, highlighting concerns that the organization lacked proper creative oversight despite the resources presumably available for Olympic promotional campaigns.
Brand perception consequences emerged immediately in the comment thread. "I loved the dance numbers after this, but AI?!?" wrote one viewer, suggesting the AI content detracted from otherwise successful ceremony elements. Another stated, "Using AI for this while celebrating art and creativity in the ceremony is really shameful and distasteful."
The backlash intensity exceeded typical social media complaints about promotional content. Commenters demanded the Olympics delete the post, questioned why the organization couldn't afford professional animators, and expressed personal offense at the creative direction. "I feel NOT rappresented by this ai slop as an italian. You close roads and spent MILLIONS to built all of this, and u don't have the money to hire some animator and illustrator?" wrote one Italian viewer.
Several commenters reported experiencing adverse physical reactions to the AI-generated content. "Shame on you! AI gen stuff gives me motion sickness, for real," wrote one viewer, raising accessibility concerns that extend beyond aesthetic preferences.
The motion sickness complaints align with documented issues where AI-generated video content creates visual inconsistencies that can trigger discomfort in susceptible viewers. These effects become particularly problematic for major events seeking maximum audience reach across diverse viewing conditions.
Multiple responses referenced the ethical implications of deploying AI content for cultural events celebrating human achievement and artistic excellence. "Using AI cheapens the whole thing. I'd be a mixture of furious and embarrassed if my name was anywhere near those credits," wrote one commenter, addressing the reputational risks for individuals associated with AI-generated promotional materials.
The criticism highlighted perceived contradictions between Olympic values and production methods. "AI use its against the Olympic spirits," wrote one viewer, connecting the technology choice to broader questions about celebrating human capability while outsourcing creative work to automated systems.
The Olympics controversy emerges as advertising verification companies identify AI-generated content sites as major threats to campaign effectiveness. Integral Ad Science analysis from July 2025 found quality inventory delivering 91% higher conversion rates compared to AI-generated "slop sites" designed primarily to capture advertising revenue.
The term "AI slop" - which appeared repeatedly in responses to the Olympic content - gained widespread adoption throughout 2024 and 2025 to describe machine-generated material lacking authenticity, containing factual errors, or appearing formulaic. British computer programmer Simon Willison championed the term's mainstream use, though the expression circulated in online communities before his advocacy.
Platform monetization programs create direct financial incentives for AI-generated content creation based on engagement metrics, making viral machine-generated material economically attractive despite quality concerns. TikTok's Creator Fund offers payments between $0.02 and $0.04 per 1,000 views for creators in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, and Brazil. Top AI content channels generate estimated annual revenues between $4 million and $4.25 million through advertising income alone.
Research published by Raptive on July 15, 2025, revealed significant consequences for brands advertising alongside content perceived as artificially created. The study found suspected AI-generated content reduces reader trust by nearly 50%, with a 14% decline in both purchase consideration and willingness to pay premium prices when content appeared machine-generated.
The 2026 Winter Olympics generated substantial advertising interest before the AI content controversy emerged. Google announced programmatic access to NBCUniversal's Olympic Winter Games inventory through Display & Video 360 on January 12, 2026, introducing live sports advertising capabilities designed to connect brands with audiences during peak viewership moments.
The announcement from Marta Martinez, Managing Director for Americas at Google Marketing Platform, positioned the platform's biddable features alongside one of the year's highest-profile sporting events. Display & Video 360's updated features addressed technical challenges that historically limited programmatic live sports advertising, introducing unified reach and personalization capabilities combining Google's audience signals with NBCUniversal's live sports connected TV inventory.
Previous Olympic programming demonstrated significant advertising impact across multiple markets. IAB Australia data showed the Olympics significantly influenced video advertising during the third quarter of 2024, with desktop devices capturing 45% of video advertising expenditure during the September quarter - marking a substantial increase from previous quarters. Connected TV's share decreased to 44%, while mobile video advertising represented 11% of total video spending.
The Olympics served as a crucial audience engagement driver during that quarter, with the event's impact on advertising spend contributing significantly to year-on-year growth in video inventory, according to Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia. The digital advertising market appeared positioned for low double-digit growth for the calendar year, supported by consistent growth in search and social media advertising.
The backlash against Olympic AI content arrives as measurement standards adapt to machine-generated material. The Media Rating Council issued policy in October 2025 restricting property-level advertisement verification services from claiming "brand safety" unless they analyze images, videos, and audio at the content level rather than relying solely on text and keywords.
The policy addresses a persistent gap between what many verification services deliver and how they've been marketed. Property-level verification services analyzing websites using text and keywords at the domain level can no longer position themselves as providing "brand safety" unless they include content-level capabilities examining images, videos, and audio.
DoubleVerify's 2025 Global Insights Report documented 65% of marketers expressing brand suitability concerns about advertising adjacent to AI-generated content. The research surveyed 1,970 marketing and advertising decision-makers worldwide, examining how brand safety measurement capabilities must adapt to real-time content evaluation before ad serving occurs.
Pre-bid activation emerged as a recommended approach for avoiding unsuitable content in dynamic walled garden environments. The fast-changing nature of social media feeds requires real-time content evaluation before ad serving occurs. Brand safety measurement capabilities expanded across major platforms throughout 2024 and 2025, with verification providers introducing content-level controls for Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks.
Multiple responses to the Olympic AI content specifically called out professional animators who should have received the commission instead of automated systems. "Why didn't you hire real animators? Like @DogHeadAnim, @RainbowSrStaff, @AliMikStudio, @4bit_studio or @StudioCampedel," wrote one commenter, directly naming specific animation studios and professionals.
The call-outs highlighted an industry concern that AI deployment displaces qualified creative professionals rather than complementing their work. "If you'd hired human animators you would've ended up with an animation that actually looked good," wrote another commenter, suggesting quality advantages beyond ethical considerations.
The criticism extended to budget allocation questions. "How can the olympics not afford an artist," wrote one viewer, questioning resource priorities for an organization that generates billions in revenue through media rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales. "You close roads and spent MILLIONS to built all of this, and u don't have the money to hire some animator and illustrator?" wrote an Italian commenter.
Several responses noted the perceived inconsistency between Olympic spending on physical infrastructure and apparent cost-cutting on creative production. The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics involves substantial investment in venues, transportation, and ceremonial elements, making the choice to deploy AI-generated promotional content particularly striking to critics.
Academic research released February 4, 2026, examined whether AI-generated advertisements perform comparably to human-made creative across multiple metrics. The Columbia Business School study analyzing real-world native advertising campaigns found AI creative tools can deliver comparable performance to human-made advertisements when executed following established creative principles.
However, the research revealed that perceived artificiality significantly impacts engagement regardless of actual origin. Consumer ability to identify AI-generated content remains limited, but suspected AI generation reduces reader trust by nearly 50%. The perception findings suggest that creative quality and adherence to established best practices matter more than production method.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra's February 2024 AI advertisement faced criticism across industry publications as representing poor AI-generated creative quality. Victoria's Secret created AI campaign content internally but never released it due to concerns about external backlash, demonstrating that positive internal assessment cannot always overcome perception risks.
The Columbia study emphasized that success depends on using AI thoughtfully and aligning creative output with proven human-centered best practices, particularly prioritizing authentic imagery and human faces. Performance measurement frameworks require adaptation as AI-generated creative becomes standard practice.
Platform payments fuel AI content production across social media channels, creating economic incentives that prioritize volume over quality. Meta's Creator Bonus Program has been documented paying creators in countries including India and the Philippines for AI-generated content while the company simultaneously develops its own AI creative tools.
Despite quality concerns, marketing investment in AI advertising channels continues growing. Mediaocean research from November 2025 found 60% of marketers plan to increase AI media spending in the first half of 2026, representing the highest growth rate among all advertising channels surveyed.
The shift reflects growing marketer interest in advertising on conversational AI platforms, despite the fact that most of these platforms have not yet formally launched advertising products. Digital video formats dominate marketer investment plans for the first half of 2026. Connected TV and digital display/video tied at 63% of respondents planning to increase spending in each channel. Social platforms followed closely at 61%.
Interactive Advertising Bureau analysis projects US advertising spend will climb 9.5% in 2026, accelerated by major cyclical events and a decisive shift toward agentic AI systems capable of autonomous campaign execution. The forecast draws from insights provided by more than 200 brands and agency buyers surveyed by IAB.
Content optimized for AI-generated answers has become a priority for 73% of marketers, revealing how artificial intelligence shapes not just delivery mechanisms but the fundamental structure of creative and search visibility strategies. Cross-platform measurement has risen to 72% priority status among advertisers, up from 64% year-over-year, reflecting mounting pressure to connect AI-orchestrated implementation with measurable outcomes.
Google launched Asset Studio for advertising creative production in September 2025, integrating Imagen 4 and enabling advertisers to generate creatives using AI alongside traditional, human-made content within Google Ads interface. Amazon enhanced Performance+ and Brand+ with AI improvements in November 2025, introducing dynamic creative optimization integrated directly into campaign workflows.
Meta unveiled Creative breakdown for Flexible formats and AI-generated image ads on July 11, 2025, enabling performance analysis by individual creative elements. The new breakdown option in Meta Ads Manager addresses advertiser demands for transparency in AI-driven optimization processes and supports campaign optimization while maintaining Meta's automation-focused advertising strategy.
For campaigns using AI-generated image variations to diversify creative assets, advertisers can now compare performance data specifically for generated images versus original content. This capability provides the first transparent view into how Meta's artificial intelligence tools affect advertising outcomes.
Meta's AI-powered creative features expanded significantly throughout 2025. In April, the company reported 30% more advertisers using AI creative tools in Q1, while Advantage+ sales campaigns showed an average 22% boost in return on ad spend. Some advertising accounts display a "Related media" breakdown option, representing an automated optimization feature that adds existing images or videos to current campaigns.
UK advertisers identified AI content concerns as mounting challenges for 2026 campaigns. Integral Ad Science released its UK Industry Pulse Report on December 8, 2025, surveying 220 digital media experts in October 2025 to identify critical challenges facing advertisers, agencies, publishers, and platforms throughout the coming year.
More than half of surveyed media experts - 56% - identified ad adjacency to AI-generated content as a major digital media challenge for 2026, according to the IAS report. This concern reflects the proliferation of machine-generated text, images, and videos across social platforms and digital video environments throughout 2025.
The report identified 40% of media experts citing that increasing levels of AI-generated content unsuitable for brands represents a serious threat to media quality over the next twelve months. This finding aligns with industry concerns about made-for-advertising sites that emerged throughout 2025, where fraudulent publishers deployed automated content generation to maximize impression inventory without regard for user experience or editorial standards.
Social media maintained dominance as the top digital environment priority, with 82% of respondents identifying it as essential for 2026 strategies. However, 41% simultaneously identified social media as facing serious challenges across the industry - the highest percentage among all media types surveyed. This paradox reflects social platforms' unmatched reach and engagement capabilities alongside persistent content moderation difficulties.
The 2024 Paris Olympics provided substantial revenue boost for outdoor advertising companies operating in host cities. JCDecaux SE, the world's largest outdoor advertising company, announced third quarter 2024 results on November 7, showing significant growth across all business segments driven in part by the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Total adjusted revenue increased by 10.9% to reach €948.2 million, compared to €855.0 million in the same period of 2023. The performance exceeded expectations, with organic growth reaching 11.1% when excluding the impact of foreign exchange variations and perimeter changes. The strong results were primarily driven by digital revenue growth and the positive impact of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in France.
Digital Out Of Home advertising emerged as a particular highlight, growing by 17.8% on an organic basis to achieve a new record high of 38.5% of total group revenue. The company's Street Furniture division, which includes bus shelters and other urban advertising installations, recorded an 8.4% increase to €468.5 million. The Transport segment showed even stronger growth, rising 14.8% to €346.9 million.
The Olympics comparison created measurement challenges for outdoor advertising companies in subsequent quarters. JCDecaux posted €926.1 million revenue in Q3 2025 with -0.9% organic decline, but underlying growth reached approximately 3% excluding Olympics impact. The results underscore how major sporting events create distortions in year-over-year comparisons for outdoor advertising companies operating in host cities.
Who: The Olympic Games organization, Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore, social media commenters, professional animators, and advertising industry stakeholders
What: The Olympics posted AI-generated promotional content featuring Sabrina Impacciatore to social media, drawing widespread criticism for poor visual quality, motion sickness effects, and failure to support human creative professionals. The backlash reflected broader advertising industry tensions around AI-generated content quality, brand safety concerns, and ethical questions about displacing human artists.
When: Today, February 8, 2026, amid preparations for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and ongoing industry debates about AI content deployment
Where: Social media platform X (formerly Twitter), within the broader context of global advertising markets confronting AI-generated content proliferation across digital channels including social media, programmatic advertising, and connected television
Why: The controversy matters because it demonstrates consumer rejection of obviously artificial content for major cultural events while revealing persistent tensions between automation efficiency and creative quality standards. Research shows suspected AI-generated content reduces consumer trust by 50% and decreases purchase consideration by 14%, creating brand safety risks for advertisers. The backlash arrives as 56% of UK media experts identify AI content adjacency as a major 2026 challenge, while verification standards evolve to require content-level analysis rather than keyword-based assessment. Olympic advertising partnerships involve billions in media rights and sponsorship revenue, making content quality essential for protecting brand value across stakeholder relationships.
