Every walk of life is gradually coming under the folds of AI & Machine Learning. AI is taking shape, it’s not just a part of movies but is not making it to reality. AI can help solve immensely difficult problems in various sectors of industry including sports. AI can do much more things than one has ever imagined. With the ability to solve, reason, predict, communicate and so on, AI can be used for almost anything. For this, AI software has to have the ability to learn, self-optimize, and ideally, return data output.
AI-based systems are also starting to find their way into the contentious world of refereeing. AI-based referee assistants can help refs review penalties and other important in-game moments. AI systems can automatically review game footage and help determine the timing of plays and the location of players during plays.
Similarly, AI technology can assist coaches as augmentative assistants. These systems can review thousands of historical plays in mere seconds and suggest plays to coaches in real-time. AI can also calculate situational options and make predictions based on prior plays.
The use of AI in sports is also extending to reporting on sports and entertainment events. Natural language generation (NLG) systems can create post-game coverage and assemble highlights and promote regional sports events where human sports broadcasters can’t be physically present.
Microsoft recently created the Bing Sportscaster bot, which broadcasts sports news to fans, in addition to providing information such as game rosters, results, and other game-related information. Users can interact with the Sportscaster bot using Facebook Messenger and other platforms to initiate conversations about their favorite teams.
AI systems are also being used to deliver clips and highlights of games to various channels faster than was previously possible.
Veteran cricketer, Anil Kumble’s tech startup Spektacom, has partnered with Microsoft to create Power Bat, an artificial Intelligence tool. Power Bat is an Azure Sphere-powered sticker is stuck on the shoulder of the bat. This will share data such as speed, quality of the shot, proximity, etc.
This is an attempt to leverage AI & Machine Learning to deepen fan engagement and collect important data during the match for real-time analytics. This analytics will be used to draw insights which will be shared with the players and team-strategists through an app. These insights will be tools to improve the performance of the player and subsequently the team.
Computer algorithms can accurately label a batsman’s cricketing shot by using visual-recognition techniques for an action that sometimes lasted no more than 1.2 seconds. Not just cricket, Machine Learning algorithms are all set to transform viewing experience in Tennis and Football as well.
Whether it is cricket or any sport, it is not just played between two teams. There is an entire bunch of people involved. There are team managers, team strategists, coaches and trainers, sponsors, fans and the media. There is also a huge commercial angle to the entire thing.
Sports Analytics is being taken seriously across the globe. This specialized science is fast improving the process of team selection, monitoring, and coaching players, and completely changing the way in which games are played in the international arena.
