AI in Sports: Fairer Judging
There is a lot of innovation in the Artificial Intelligence industry, with OpenAI teasing their AI video generator, Sora, on February 15th, 2024. Similarly, there have been exciting advancements in fairer judging in sports. For example, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, many viewers saw how AI helped referees correctly determine crucial calls that could prevent games from being prematurely ended. I see a future with AI becoming more transparent in sports calls, with officials more accurately making split-second decisions that lead to more accuracy in judgment.
For example, Jabbr’s Deepstrike is helping competitors combat sports, usually judged subjectively, using data analytics to recognize and improve their weaknesses. The company’s goal is to level the field of combat sports and help attract new talent by providing detailed data accessible to everyone. As a result, players can skip the tedious and time-consuming task of filming, watching, and editing their recordings. Increased accessibility is now a realistic future for combat sports, usually unavailable for most of us.
Further proving my point, the cutting-edge technology in the 2022 FIFA World Cup included the Al Rihla, the Official 2022 FIFA World Cup ball. The ball contained an inbuilt inertial measurement unit that detected illegal positions and sent data 500 times/second to the Video Assistant Referee(VAR) room. There was also a semi-automated offside technology that incorporated limb- and ball-tracking data and Artificial Intelligence that sent an alert to the VAR room whenever a ball was in an offside position. As a result, VAR officials could validate the AI’s call and inform the on-field referees to make accurate decisions.
Finally, Fujitsu’s AI is helping judges improve their assessments at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. The application utilizes 3d sensors and AI to capture gymnasts’ movements before converting them into numerical data. The technology also provides a 3d view of the performed move, helping judges accurately assess players and their scores. The AI will help judges limit scoring controversy, which could ruin a gymnast’s career and dreams. The future is now: Fujitsu’s AI will help make gymnastics a sport where fair judging is widespread.
AI is prevalent throughout sports, helping teams prevent injuries and athlete training. Yet, the use of AI for fairer judging is monumental, demonstrating how sports officials will not make unfair and incorrect decisions. There will be less controversy about calls in sports, and fans can enjoy an elevated experience where they can experience their favorite team striving for a championship. Ultimately, AI will help all sports become engaging, fair, and fun for players and viewers.
