World Sports Attacked by "AI Slop", Fans Believe False Quotes, Betting Market Can Be Impacted

JAKARTA - Waves of misinformation based on artificial intelligence are beginning to pose a serious threat to the global sports world. A recent study from the AI risk management platform, Alethea, warns that the surge in AI-generated fake content - dubbed "AI slop" - is difficult to distinguish from original information and has the potential to damage the reputation of athletes, clubs, and the sports industry at large.

In a report quoted by VOI from Reuters, Alethea highlighted how false quotes attributed to NFL stars were believed by thousands of people. Former NFL player Jason Kelce, for example, is said to have said that criticism of Bad Bunny's performance as a Super Bowl 2026 halftime performer was "not fit for the future of America". The statement was never uttered.

A similar case befell George Kittle, the tight end of the San Francisco 49ers, who was falsely described as making political comments about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk and political issues in sports. The two eventually had to deny it directly after the upload went viral.

"Teams and players are suddenly accused of saying or doing things that are completely fabricated," said Lisa Kaplan, founder and CEO of Alethea. According to him, the evolution of AI tools has made fake news much more dangerous.

"Content now looks real and is produced in massive quantities, so it's hard for the average person to determine if it's authentic," Kaplan said. "In the past, fake news relied on human labor to copy and paste content repeatedly. Now, AI can mimic brands and create compelling images that resemble official announcements."

Kaplan added that the impact is not just about reputation. This AI-based misinformation is said to disrupt the traditional sports media monetization model. "These networks encourage engagement to dubious sites, distort advertising metrics, and can even create scenarios that manipulate the betting market," he said.

C. Shawn Eib, Head of Investigations Alethea, explained the pattern of the network's work, one of which was by spreading conflicting announcements. He exemplified the false claim that former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was recruited by several different teams at the same time.

"When one figure appears to be connected to multiple teams simultaneously, it's usually a clear sign that an AI system is behind the creation of these images," Eib said.

"AI slop" content generally follows a certain formula: fake match updates, celebrity conflicts that never existed, fabricated scandals, to political quotes that are mistakenly associated with star athletes. This phenomenon also utilizes what is called rage bait, that is, content that deliberately provokes anger to spread quickly.

"If fans, players, even the entire club are caught up in a manipulative narrative like this, the risk is reputational damage, a collapse of trust, and the politicization of sport," said Kaila Ryan, VP of Communications Alethea. He emphasized that sports organizations must be more proactive in protecting their brands and digital security.

"It is important for teams and leagues to start monitoring this risk, working across communications, legal and security divisions, and educating fans to verify announcements through official channels," he added.

In terms of business, the impact is also real. This network of spreading fake content sucks advertising revenue from legitimate sports media and distorts audience data. Some outbound links are even indicated to lead to phishing and malicious redirects, opening up direct fraud risks for fans.

This problem is not limited to the NFL. Alethea found similar operations targeting the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar, to professional tennis. Kaplan judged the sport to be a soft target because it is a cultural meeting point that brings many people together.

He recalled an earlier precedent, when Russia allegedly exploited Colin Kaepernick's "Take a Knee" action in 2018. A 2019 report by the US Senate Intelligence Committee revealed that Russian trolls used the debate to exacerbate racial tensions after the 2016 election.

"The Kaepernick protest was exploited for a purpose that had nothing to do with the sport," Kaplan said. "It's about exploiting a cultural symbol and turning it into a tool of polarization."

According to him, the best defense is still in collective vigilance. "Verify the latest news through the official channels of the team, don't click on suspicious links in the comments column, and remember that anger is often the main product, not a side effect, of the content you see," he said.