Revolutionizing Women’s Sports with AI
Empowering Athletes and Breaking Gender Bias
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is less than 10 days away and the sporting world’s attention is on women’s sports.
While women’s sports has grown rapidly in recent years, fueled by access to new capital, there are still many challenges to overcome. Disproportionate media coverage, online abuse and gender bias at various levels of sport still persist.
In June we focused on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a major role in shaping the future of sports. That could extend to solving problems like bridging the gap between men’s & women’s sports.
AI has the potential to revolutionize the landscape of women’s sports and empower female athletes on and off the field. Here are 4 good examples of how it’s doing that already.
Breaking the Bias
A quick internet search of the players with most goals scored in international football will send you to links naming Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Sunil Chettri (an Indian legend!) in the top 5. When in reality, there are 6 women with more international goals than CR7, who tops the men’s list. Mind you, I didn’t add any gender specification in my search. Yet I was only shown lists of men.
That’s the internet for you, as it is now. Though hopefully not for long.
Companies like the truly innovative Correct the Internet by DDB Group Aotearoa NZ are trying to change that.
Leveraging AI, media platforms can analyze and recognize women’s sporting events, ensuring equal coverage and promoting their achievements.
This helps to shift societal perceptions, increase fan engagement, and inspire the next generation of female athletes.
Combating Online Abuse
Sure, everyone faces online abuse. But studies have shown that women athletes face 3 times the abuse of their male counterparts. The problem is bigger for them. So how can AI help?
Well FIFA believes it can. The upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup will employ an AI software to detect and report instances of online harassment.
In collaboration with FIFPro, FIFA introduced the Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), a comprehensive set of tools aimed at safeguarding players participating in FIFA events. This initiative was launched in response to the significant increase in online abuse witnessed during the UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
AI-driven tools can detect and filter offensive content, ensuring a safer online environment. This allows for prompt intervention and helps foster a positive digital space for athletes to thrive.
Challenging Gender Bias in Product Design
Moving Beyond ‘Shrink It and Pink It’, innovation in product design has historically been biased towards men, neglecting the specific needs of women athletes.
Again, AI can help the way for inclusive and gender-neutral product development. This ensures that women have access to the right tools that enhance their performance, comfort, and overall experience in sports.
Nike have understood the importance of this with their recent launch (finally!) of a football shoe for women, the Phantom Luna boot, described as the “most innovative and researched women’s-led boot”. They’re a bit late to this party, but better late than never eh.
First to this party was Laura Youngson, the boss lady and mastermind behind Ida Sports, who came up with the genius idea of creating soccer boots specifically tailored for women, way back in 2018.
She recognized that female athletes have some unique foot characteristics that differ from those of their male counterparts. For instance, women tend to have a shallower big toe, a higher arch, and smaller feet relative to their body height. Laura’s company focuses on catering to these nuances and providing female soccer players with boots that truly fit their feet like a glove.
Injury Prevention and Empowering Performance
Female footballers have a higher risk of suffering from ACL injuries, which are the most serious types of knee injuries. We didn’t know this and you might not have but others have known this for a while.
Studies have shown that the likelihood of these injuries occurring in women ranges from two to eight times higher than in men. Research by Dr. Okholm Kryger and others has highlighted other gender disparities in the sport, such as the playing surfaces and the design of football gear (like boots!).
She pointed out that women have different movement patterns and running styles than men, yet the length of studs on boots is typically designed based on male movement and traction. This mismatch increases the chances of women’s boots getting stuck in the surface, ultimately leading to injuries.
Six of the world’s top 16 players tore an ACL between June 2022 and April 2023 and that has led to five of those players missing the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Utilizing AI to analyze vast amounts of player data, identify injury patterns, and provide personalized training programs, Companies like Zone7 have developed specific solutions for women’s football.
They have successfully run their program throughout the FA Women’s Super League and are keen on expanding their operations across womens sport. By optimizing training routines and reducing the risk of injuries, AI can empower female athletes to reach their full potential and extend their careers, ultimately elevating the quality of the game.
A Tech-Powered Revolution Where Champions Rise and Boundaries Shatter
As we gaze into the crystal ball of women’s sports and technology, one thing is clear: the future is going to be epic.
But here’s the catch: this future won’t just magically materialize. It requires our collective push, the combined efforts of athletes, sports organizations, the tech community, and of course fans.
It’s up to us to demand equal opportunities, to rally behind inclusive product design, and to amplify the voices of female athletes in the digital realm. We need to hold major corporations accountable and challenge them to step up their game, not just for the sake of profit, but for the empowerment of women in sports.
The future of women’s sports is in our hands, and together, we can make it legendary.
