Czech ice dancers spark controversy using AI-generated music at Olympics rhythm dance event

Czech Ice Dancers Bring AI-Generated Music to Olympic Stage

Czech ice dancers Kateřina Mrázková and Daniel Mrázek made their Olympic debut on Monday with a performance that featured AI-generated music during their rhythm dance program, marking a controversial first for the sport 1

1

. The sibling duo's routine combined an AI-created track styled after Bon Jovi with AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," a choice that doesn't violate International Skating Union regulations but has sparked intense debate about the role of artificial intelligence in competitive athletics 2

2

.

The Olympics ice dancing competition requires pairs to perform routines matching specific themes, with this season's focus on "The Music, Dance Styles, and Feeling of the 1990s" 1

1

. While other competitors selected authentic '90s hits—British duo Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson paid tribute to the Spice Girls, and American favorites Madison Chock and Evan Bates skated to a Lenny Kravitz medley—the Czech siblings opted for a hybrid approach that raised eyebrows across the skating community.

A Pattern of AI Music Controversy

This wasn't the first time the Czech ice dancers faced criticism for their music choices. Earlier in the season, they performed to an AI song that directly copied lyrics from New Radicals' 1998 hit "You Get What You Give," including lines like "Every night we smash a Mercedes Benz!" and "Wake up, kids/We got the dreamer's disease" 1

1

. Journalist Shana Bartels first documented this AI music controversy in her newsletter "Figure Skating for Baseball Nerds" back in November 2

2

.

After facing backlash, Mrázková and Mrázek modified their routine, swapping out the New Radicals-inspired lyrics for AI-generated content that suspiciously resembled Bon Jovi's "Raise Your Hands," including phrases like "raise your hands, set the night on fire" 1

1

. This revised version accompanied their Olympic performance, demonstrating how large language models trained on extensive music libraries tend to produce statistically probable outputs that often mirror existing copyrighted material.

Copyright Concerns Meet Artistic Integrity

The decision to use AI-generated music highlights growing tensions around intellectual property in Olympic figure skating. Since the International Skating Union began allowing music with lyrics in 2014, athletes have faced increasingly complex copyright clearance processes 2

2

. The ISU works with ClicknClear to secure music rights, but navigating multiple rights holders remains challenging. American figure skater Amber Glenn recently settled a dispute with Canadian artist Seb McKinnon over unauthorized use of his music, while Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate initially faced restrictions on using Minions franchise music 2

2

.

Yet the Czech pair's solution—using copyright-free AI soundalikes—has provoked stronger reactions than traditional licensing disputes. "Are you kidding me with the AI music in Olympics figure skating? So you want the world to respect your art but don't give a shit about the art of music that helps you do it?" one sound engineer wrote on Bluesky 2

2

. Critics argue that in a sport celebrated for human artistry and creativity, the use of AI-generated content undermines the very essence of competitive ice dancing 3

3

.

Performance Results and Broader Implications

The AI music strategy didn't translate to competitive success. Mrazkova and Mrazek scored 72.09 for their rhythm dance performance, placing them 17th and effectively eliminating them from medal contention 2

2

3

3

. The controversy surrounding their music choice may overshadow their athletic accomplishment of reaching the Olympic stage, though it raises critical questions about where artificial intelligence fits in competitive sports.

This incident reflects broader concerns about plagiarism and the legally dubious methods through which large language models are trained on copyrighted material. When these systems generate music "in the style of" established artists, they frequently reproduce actual lyrics and melodies, creating potential legal and ethical complications. The music industry's mixed response—exemplified by Telisha Jones securing a $3 million record deal for AI-generated music created through Suno—suggests these tensions will only intensify 1

1

.

As the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics continue, the Czech siblings' controversial choice serves as a test case for how athletic competitions will navigate AI integration while preserving the human creativity that defines their appeal 4

4

.