WWE Wants AI to Write Storylines. Here's What That Means for Writers
WWE is moving to AI-assisted storytelling under chief creative officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque. He's brought on Cyrus Kowsari as senior director of creative strategy to lead the shift and fold AI into writing, video, and graphics.
The company tested two AI systems already. One was scrapped because it couldn't grasp wrestling story logic; another, built with Writer AI, struggled with kayfabe and continuity, even pitching a Bobby Lashley return arc when he wasn't on the roster.
What Actually Changed
- AI is being positioned inside WWE's creative pipeline, not just as a toy on the side.
- Cyrus Kowsari is tasked with guiding the transition and coordinating with external stakeholders, including the White House.
- Early AI drafts misread character history and fan expectations-classic data and context gaps.
Why Wrestling Is a Brutal Test for AI
Pro wrestling is part theater, part live stunt work, part soap opera. Fans expect long-running arcs, sudden turns, and continuity that respects past beats.
AI tends to falter on subtext, crowd psychology, and the split-second pivots that happen after an injury or a surprise pop. If it can't track canon, heat, and face/heel dynamics, it ships plot holes the audience spots in seconds.
Takeaways You Can Use in Any Writer's Room
- Keep humans in the loop: Treat AI as a draft engine and researcher. Editors guard tone, continuity, and taste.
- Build a living canon: Maintain a source-of-truth database for lore, relationships, timelines, and banned ideas. Point AI to it every time.
- Create prompt playbooks: Standardize briefs: character sheets, current arc goals, taboo angles, length, beat map, and audience segment.
- Enforce voice and kayfabe: Use style guides and redlines. Reject any draft that breaks continuity or character motivation.
- Prototype in small arcs: Let AI ideate mid-card feuds or backstage segments first. Promote what performs.
- Feedback loops: Score outputs for coherence, originality, and fan response. Retrain prompts, not just models.
- Credit and ethics: Track human changes vs. AI suggestions. Be clear on authorship and approvals.
A Simple Workflow You Can Steal
- Brief: 1-paragraph premise, target audience, story beats, do/don't list.
- Generate: 3-5 AI variants with different tones and structures.
- Merge: Human editor assembles the best parts into one tight draft.
- Continuity pass: Fact-check against the canon database.
- Read test: Table read or small audience sample; gather reactions.
- Polish: Punch up dialogue, add setups/payoffs, remove clichés.
- Ship and measure: Track engagement; log learnings back into the brief.
What AI Still Struggles To Nail
- Long-term continuity and callbacks without a structured canon.
- Subtext, humor, and timing that land with live audiences.
- Ethical lines and sensitive topics that can backfire in public.
Opportunities for Writers Who Lean In
- Become the "AI editor": Specialize in turning messy drafts into shippable scripts.
- Own the canon: Build and curate the knowledge base everyone relies on.
- Design prompt systems: Create reusable templates for arcs, beats, and character voices.
- Measure what matters: Tie drafts to engagement and retention, not vibes.
Questions Every Creative Team Should Answer Now
- What cannot be AI-generated in our process, and why?
- Who signs off on continuity, ethics, and tone?
- What data do we feed models, and do we have the rights?
- How do we credit contributors and handle revisions?
WWE's experiment is a signal: AI will sit at the table whether it's ready or not. The advantage goes to writers who can direct it, constrain it with a clear canon, and ship stories that respect the audience.
If you want structured ways to upskill on prompts, workflows, and role-specific tactics, browse these AI courses by job or explore prompt engineering guides.
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