On Super Bowl Sunday, Fox Sports aired an AI-generated tribute to beloved NFL coach-turned-analyst Jimmy Johnson — but fans weren’t happy.
Fox Sports honored 81-year-old Johnson, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, with an AI-generated video chronicling each step of his career.
The video showed Johnson throughout his life, from being a young assistant coach at Louisiana Tech in 1965, to leading the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Hurricanes before becoming an analyst for Fox.
Johnson narrated the video, but at times his voice didn’t quite line up with his AI-generated self, and fans were quick to critique it.
“This Jimmy Johnson AI video on Fox is straight out of Uncanny Valley,” one user wrote.
The user was referring to the uncanny valley effect, the uncomfortable feeling evoked by artificial images that look not-quite-human.
“This Jimmy Johnson AI thing deeply sucks and is so embarrassing,” another said.
“What in the Polar Express are we doing with this Jimmy Johnson CGI pregame biopic,” another viewer wrote, comparing it to the 2004 movie with hyper-realistic animation that is often criticized for evoking the uncanny valley effect.
But Johnson revealed he loved the tribute during a Fox Sports segment during the showpiece game on Sunday.
“I’ve got to thank my family for allowing me the time to accomplish some of those things,” Johnson said. “I was blessed to have great players, great assistant coaches and great friends. Thank you.”
“I can truly say because of my family and because of you all, I've never been happier than in this time of my life,” Johnson added as he teared up. “Happiest I've ever been in my life."
The Independent has contacted Fox Sports for comment.
