When AI Hits the Arena

Artificial intelligence has officially left the lab and entered the arena.

Once the stuff of sci-fi, AI now plays a leading role in pop culture, shaping how we listen to music, view fashion, watch films, and yes, even cheer on our favorite teams. From AI-generated Drake tracks going viral on TikTok to Balenciaga’s campaigns featuring Popes in streetwear, machine learning is no longer just an influence, it’s a co-creator. And the reactions range from awe to unease.

Such transformation has made its way to the NBA, thanks to a bold activation by Sixt Rent a Car, a proud sponsor of the Chicago Bulls. During a March Bulls vs. Mavericks game, Sixt teamed up with AI company Zooly to bring fans an unforgettable, tech-powered experience.

• The Setup: Flyers and Jumbotron messages invited fans to scan a QR code.

• The Experience: After taking a selfie, fans received a video of Benny the Bull sitting on their shoulders—dumping a bag of popcorn on them. (Longtime fans know: Benny and popcorn are a legendary combo).

• The Impact: This playful AI-powered interaction is believed to be the first of its kind in any major U.S. sports league.

  
  

The result? A fresh, funny, and delightful way to make memories at the game, proving AI can be used to amplify human connection, not replace it.

This moment mirrors other recent breakthroughs across pop culture. Spotify’s AI DJ now curates playlists guided by a natural-sounding voice. Grimes has invited fans to use her AI-synthesized voice to create original songs, splitting royalties with them in a bold new model of digital creativity. Even Coca-Cola launched an AI-powered holiday campaign, letting users create surreal seasonal art using its iconic imagery and OpenAI’s tech.

But not all experiments have been met with applause. Blame it on AI still treading this world as a no-man’s land. When Marvel used AI-generated visuals for the Secret Invasion opening sequence, fans and critics alike called the move soulless. And behind the scenes, the ethical stakes are high. Meta Platforms is facing backlash over allegations it used millions of pirated books to train its AI models without authors’ consent. Mine included. As a writer, I’ve seen my own work absorbed into these datasets without permission. There’s something deeply unsettling about having years of creative labor reduced to algorithmic fodder.

These concerns have been echoed by creators around the world. Legendary Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki once described AI-generated art as “an insult to life itself.” For him, creativity is a sacred, human process. Something a machine can’t replicate.

Yet, what Sixt achieved in Chicago strikes a hopeful balance. It didn’t try to replace the human element of sports—it enhanced it. Fans weren’t passively watching a screen; they were in on the joke, interacting with Benny in a way that felt fresh, immersive, and shareable. It turned a night at the arena into a story you’d tell your friends—or post to your feed.

As AI becomes more intertwined with our everyday experiences, the question isn’t just “what can it do?”—but “how do we use it responsibly?”