Czech ice dancers Kateřina Mrázková and Daniel Mrázek made their Olympic debut on Monday, an unfathomable feat that takes a lifetime of dedication and practice. But the sibling duo used AI music in their rhythm dance program, which doesn’t break any official rules, but serves as a depressing symbol of how absolutely cooked we are.
As Mrázek spun his sister in a crazy cartwheel lift sort of move that made them look superhuman, one of the NBC commentators mentioned in passing, “This is AI generated, this first part,” referring to the music. Somehow, that admission is even more baffling than the gravity-defying tricks that the siblings showed off on the pressure of Olympic ice.
The Olympic ice dance competition is split into two events: the rhythm dance, where pairs must perform a routine that meets a specific theme, and the free dance. This season’s theme is “The Music, Dance Styles, and Feeling of the 1990s.” British ice dancing duo Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson paid tribute to the Spice Girls, while United States favorites Madison Chock and Evan Bates skated to a Lenny Kravitz medley.
But, for whatever reason — licensing issues? — Mrázková and Mrázek danced to a routine with music that’s half AC/DC and half AI. It’s weird. What’s even weirder is that this isn’t the duo’s first use of AI, nor is it the first time that this choice backfired.
Per the International Skating Union, the governing body that oversees competitive ice skating, the duo’s music choice for the rhythm dance this season has been “One Two by AI (of 90s style Bon Jovi)” and “Thunderstruck by AC/DC.” The official Olympics website confirms that the duo is using …