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Winter Olympics Viewers Slam ‘AI Slop’ in Opening Ceremony Flashback Sequence

The scene looked back at past Olympics before a performance led by “White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore

Sabrina Impacciatore stars in AI flashback sequence (Credit: Olympics/X)

The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony was mocked for an AI-generated flashback sequence that gave viewers a glimpse at the past 100 years of the Olympic Games.

The cartoon sequence starred “White Lotus” actress Sabrina Impacciatore skiing and skating through different host cities from the past century. Fans online criticized the sequence for taking away a job from an animator.

“Winter Olympics using dogshit AI slop in their opening ceremony,” one user wrote on X. “An animating job that a talented animator would’ve bitten your arm off for, you’d have been able to find someone to do it for free even.”

Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics
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Another X user noted that the AI cartoon “trivialized the entire creativity” of the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony. The theatrical segment of the show followed the Parade of Athletes, which featured competitors from across the globe.

TheWrap reached out to NBC for comment.

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Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore (3rd R) performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Piero Crucciatti / AFP)

Italian actress Impacciatore took the stage, following the cartoon segment with a live-action dance through the decades. Her performance started with fashion from the 20s and journeyed through to 80s ski fashion and modern day wears.

The actress ended the performance alone centerstage, dramatically panning around to the crowd and taking it all in.

Her live performance was in the same vein as the AI cartoon’s journey through the decades, but instead featured dancers from every decade and paid homage to Italian artistry.

Keep reading for more reactions to the AI cartoon:

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Tess Patton

Tess joined TheWrap as the company’s first reporting fellow in 2024. Tess is from Birmingham, Alabama and attended the University of Southern California, graduating with degrees in theatre and journalism. She also served as the executive editor for Annenberg Media, closely overseeing coverage of campus protests amidst the Israel-Hamas War.

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