Will The Athletes Of The Future Be Artificial?

Why technology threatens to make human athletes redundant.

After watching Roger Federer narrowly miss out on winning his ninth Wimbledon title, it’s impossible not to marvel at his longevity. The way that he moves around a tennis court is almost effortless, and he does so looking a man much younger than his 37 years. Lebron James is another prime example of an elite athlete who isn’t showing many signs of slowing down. In 2017, Lebron had what many consider to be the best all-around season of his career. At age 33, an age where many athletes have passed their prime, he played in all 82 regular-season games, leading the NBA in minutes played per game. He also averaged career highs in rebounds and assists, and scored 27.5 points per game, his highest average since 2009.

No matter which sport you choose, you will find a selection of elite athletes who are simply cut from a different cloth, who seem to possess abilities beyond those of ordinary men and are seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. Sports commentators joke that athletes like Lebron James are machines, their abilities superhuman. But is that what the future really holds for professional sports? With strides being made in the fields of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), are we approaching a time when the elite athletes of the…