AI has finally reached The Rock and 'after taking a hard look at it,' he's got an 'extraordinary f-ing workout' and might be rethinking his Presidential aspirations | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
AI has finally reached The Rock and 'after taking a hard look at it,' he's got an 'extraordinary f-ing workout' and might be rethinking his Presidential aspirations
Dwane Johnson is an "advocate for change," and Chat GPT fits the bill
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
The AI gave him a fantastic workout program and something else to chew on
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) can be forgiven if he's only just now getting on the fast-moving AI train. The AI revolution, arguably kicked off by Chat GPT in 2022, is not even five years old, and in that time, The Rock has made five films, including big tent-pole features like Black Adam and Red One, Oscar Bait The Smashing Machine, and the Disney live-action Moana remake.
These are the days when film, TV, and even online video stars come out for or against a technology that may be eating their lunch. In January, SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin called the changes AI has wrought in his industry an "existential threat." Johnson is a SAG-AFTRA member, and while his superstar status might protect him from AI taking his job, there's no stopping someone from generating unsanctioned AI videos of Johnson in action.
Johnson, though, who sat down for a lengthy interview with Esquire Magazine, is more than just sanguine about AI; he's kind of a fan.
"I’ve always been an advocate for embracing big change—after taking a hard look at it...we can either stick our heads in the sand and be afraid, or we can say, 'Okay, we’re here. Let’s see. Let’s explore,'” Johnson told the magazine.
And explore he has. The former pro wrestler and noted fitness buff who's probably known as much for his physique as he is for his charming on-screen persona, installed Chat GPT just weeks ago and, as one does, he began quizzing it about a workout regimen,
I asked Chat GPT to build me a realistic weekly workout for a 54-year-old
Someone used Chat GPT to make a custom m RNA vaccine for his dog's cancer — Sam Altman
Meet Coach Cube, the intelligent AI personal trainer that lives inside a Tron-style box room
For a novice, Johnson's ability to craft a usable prompt was impressive. He said he poured all kinds of details into it, like what he ate, how he slept, and his goals.
If, like many of us, you've been using Chat GPT or another generative chatbot for years, the results might not surprise you, but Johnson was blown away by the response. He said the training program was "Like it came from ten of the greatest coaches I’ve ever worked with. [It was] very specific. I wound up having an extraordinary fucking workout," he told Esquire.
Here at Tech Radar, a few of us have been using AI to help us improve our exercise routines and, in general, have discovered the same thing: it knows us and can believably play a fitness expert.
The interview is well worth a read because, after that first prompt and with the Esquire reporter watching, Johnson asked about the possibility of his running for President of the United States. This has come up before. I've read interviews with him going back almost a decade that have posed the same question, but this is the first time Johnson asked an AI — in this case Chat GPT — about his prospects. Really, he was asking, if he ran, why would people choose to vote for him?
Nothing that Chat GPT came back with is surprising. It notes the actor's likability, that he's not a politician, that he's not divisive, and his background, which was not always easy (find and stream the now-canceled TV show Young Rock if you can).
The answer, though, appeared to surprise Johnson, and who knows what comes next.
In the end, Chat GPT received an endorsement of sorts from one of the world's most popular actors, and The Rock may be freshly considering a run for the White House. Not shocking, really, but it might be worth remembering his words about AI writ large: "We can either stick our heads in the sand" or "we can say... Let’s explore." At the very least, you might end up with one of the best workouts of your life.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.
Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 The great AI Irony: China cracks down on Western models while US companies flock to Deep Seek
2 How to watch South Korea vs Czechia: Free Streams & TV Channels online from anywhere for FIFA World Cup 2026
3A US Army Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz — an uncrewed drone boat made history by saving its crew
4 Are your hybrid meetings doing more harm than good? New survey finds many of us 'forget' about remote colleagues
5I hope these 4 Galaxy S26 Ultra software features make their way to the Galaxy A57 and more affordable Samsung phones soon
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
