A new study by AI risk management platform Alethea has raised alarms about the rise of artificial intelligence-generated fake content—what the company calls “AI slop”—and its potential to mislead sports fans, players, and leagues.
Retired NFL star Jason Kelce never criticized 2026 Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny as being “a bad fit for America’s future,” and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle never attacked slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk or politicized football. Yet thousands of people believed they did, highlighting the rapid spread of fabricated content.
“Teams and players are suddenly being accused of things that are completely fabricated,” Lisa Kaplan, founder and CEO of Alethea, told. “The evolution of AI tools has made fake news a much more formidable challenge. Content now looks real and is produced at a volume that makes it hard for the average person to determine if it’s authentic.”
Kaplan explained that modern AI-generated misinformation no longer relies on repetitive human labor. Instead, sophisticated tools can impersonate brands, craft realistic images, and create posts that mimic official announcements. The result is a flood of fabricated game updates, celebrity feuds, and politically charged quotes attributed to star athletes.
“This wave of AI misinformation is disrupting traditional sports media monetization,” Kaplan added. “Networks drive engagement to questionable sites, skew advertising metrics, and could even create scenarios that manipulate betting markets.”
C. Shawn Eib, Alethea’s Head of Investigations, described a common tactic: releasing multiple conflicting announcements simultaneously. For instance, former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was falsely linked to several teams at once—an anomaly that often signals AI-generated content.
The fabricated Kelce and Kittle quotes are emblematic of the broader problem. Both players publicly denied making statements attributed to them after the posts went viral, illustrating the potential reputational damage AI slop can cause.
“If fans, players, and entire franchises fall prey to these manipulated narratives, it risks undermining trust, damaging reputations, and politicizing sport,” said Kaila Ryan, Alethea’s VP of Communications. “Sports organizations need to actively manage their brands and digital safety. Teams and leagues must monitor these risks, coordinate across communications, legal, and security departments, and educate fans on verifying announcements from official channels.”
The consequences extend beyond reputation. These AI-generated networks siphon ad revenue from legitimate sports media and distort audience metrics. Some links within these networks have been flagged for phishing or malicious redirects, posing a direct threat to fans.
The problem is not confined to football. Alethea found similar operations targeting the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar, and professional tennis. Kaplan emphasized that sport, as a cultural touchpoint that unites fans, is particularly attractive for influence operations. She cited the example of Russia’s alleged exploitation of then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 2018 ‘Take a Knee’ protests, which Senate Intelligence Committee reports indicated were used to stoke social division in the U.S. following the 2016 election.
“Kaepernick’s protests were leveraged to polarize society rather than to comment on sport,” Kaplan noted. “Teams need to work in unison to defend their identities and protect fans from fraud or manipulation.”
For fans, vigilance is key. Kaplan advised verifying breaking news through official team channels, avoiding links in suspicious posts, and recognizing that outrage is often manufactured rather than organic.
As AI-generated content becomes increasingly realistic and widespread, Alethea’s study underscores the urgent need for sports organizations and fans alike to adapt to a rapidly evolving digital landscape where misinformation can hit as fast as the game itself.
