Unless you live under a rock, you know about Chatgpt, OpenAi’s computer that can seemingly perform any task you give it. It has already been seen in things like canvas, now it is being incorporated into everyday television.
Last Thursday night, Amazon’s Prime Video streamed the football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos using AI to enhance their broadcast. AI was used to identify defensive players that had a high chance of rushing the passer.
With “Radio Frequency Identification” (RFID) chips in each of the players’ shoulder pads to relay information regarding acceleration and orientation, an AI system predicts which player has a high chance of rushing the passer on each play.
Using this advanced AI, analysts could determine the best offensive play to counter each defensive formation in real time.
These human analysts competed against this robot, and to their surprise, the robot outperformed. On one specific play, a cover 0 defense (man to man with no zone support), the ai system highlighted a player who would almost never rush the passer, analysts after the play were dumbfounded as to what the ai saw developing. Yet without fail the rusher broke through the offensive line as a lineman missed a tackle and sacked the quarterback.
Obviously, this new function of AI, places a new perspective on the NFL. For viewers watching at home, they can now see what the quarterback looks for through each play and makes it easier to see what they miss.
These screens will also forevermore change the landscape of sports betting. As this AI develops, it is expected that it will eventually spread into more than just the defensive line; the receivers’ routes and the quarterback’s targets could all be projected onto the viewers’ screen. This technology will be able to better project games and change the percent chance of winning, altering the projections on sports betting.
Another future potential benefit comes from the hope to better protect athlete health and safety. Heart monitors can track player exertion and even indicate when a high intensity play is about to occur.
Even the world of professional athletics cannot escape the influence of artificial intelligence. Sports viewing will be changed and so will the commercial business that comes with it. We are entering an unknown and it will be something interesting to keep up with.
