News/Sports
This new AI tool aims to boost confidence in young athletes
The intersection of artificial intelligence and youth sports is creating new opportunities to build athlete confidence and improve performance through accessible video analysis and training tools. The confidence crisis in sports: Billy Beane's story, as depicted in Moneyball, illustrates how even naturally gifted athletes can struggle with the mental aspects of competition, particularly confidence. Despite possessing exceptional athletic abilities across multiple sports, Beane's major league career faltered due to mental blocks and confidence issues His statistics tell the story: a .219 batting average with only three home runs across 148 games in six seasons The psychological impact of each strikeout...
read Nov 18, 2024Will ESPN’s AI avatar ‘FACTS’ actually drive viewer engagement?
The sports media landscape continues to evolve as ESPN explores artificial intelligence integration with its new AI avatar project for college football coverage. Project Overview: ESPN is testing an AI-generated avatar called FACTS for its popular college football show SEC Nation, focusing on pre-game discussions and sports analytics education. The initiative emerges from ESPN's Edge Innovation Center, aiming to make sports analytics more accessible and engaging for fans FACTS will serve as a complementary element to existing journalists and on-air talent, providing additional analytical insights The avatar is built using NVIDIA Omniverse technology, incorporating Azure OpenAI for language processing and...
read Nov 16, 2024ESPN is testing an AI-powered avatar called ‘FACTS’
The sports media landscape continues to evolve as ESPN experiments with artificial intelligence technology through the introduction of a new AI-powered avatar called FACTS for its college football coverage. Project Overview: ESPN is developing an AI-generated avatar named FACTS that will appear on its SEC Nation Saturday college football show, focusing on sports analytics and statistical insights. The avatar will draw information from ESPN Analytics, including the Football Power Index, player and team statistics, and game schedules FACTS utilizes a combination of technologies including Nvidia's Avatar Cloud Engine, Azure OpenAI for language processing, and ElevenLabs for text-to-speech functionality The concept...
read Nov 7, 2024Why the College Football Playoff Selection Committee continues to reject AI
The evolution of college football rankings: The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has released its first rankings for the 2024 season, highlighting the continued reliance on human judgment in determining the sport's top teams. Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami (FL), and Texas comprise the top 5 in the initial rankings. For the first time, the College Football Playoff will feature 12 teams, introducing new dynamics to the competition. The top four highest-ranked conference champions will receive first-round byes, while the next highest-ranked conference champion and top seven ranked teams will play in the first round. First-round games will be hosted...
read Oct 17, 2024The official NBA app is getting a suite of new AI features
NBA App Unveils Major Upgrades for 2024-2025 Season: The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced significant enhancements to its official app, introducing a range of new features designed to elevate the fan experience for the upcoming 2024-2025 season. Multiview Functionality: The NBA app now offers a groundbreaking multiview feature, allowing fans to watch up to four games simultaneously on NBA League Pass. This feature is available on connected devices, providing subscribers with an unprecedented level of control over their viewing experience. The multiview capability is expected to be particularly popular among fantasy basketball players and die-hard fans who want to...
read Oct 15, 2024ElevenLabs, DeepReel create AI version of Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin
AI meets F1: Aston Martin introduces 'Ai.lonso'; ElevenLabs and DeepReel have joined forces to create an AI-driven version of Fernando Alonso, the renowned Formula 1 driver currently racing for Aston Martin Aramco. The AI-powered avatar, dubbed "Ai.lonso," combines ElevenLabs' voice cloning technology with DeepReel's AI avatar capabilities. This innovative tool aims to enhance accessibility to Aston Martin's website content and provide a more personalized fan engagement experience. Ai.lonso will be able to read selected articles on the team's website in multiple languages, initially offering English, Spanish, and French options. Cutting-edge technology behind Ai.lonso: The synthetic voice technology employed in this...
read Oct 11, 2024NCAA study uses AI to reveal widespread athlete harassment on social media
Online harassment in college sports: NCAA study reveals disturbing trends: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has conducted its first comprehensive study on online harassment related to championship events in six sports, uncovering alarming patterns of abuse directed at student-athletes, coaches, and officials. Study methodology and scope: The NCAA employed Signify Group's Threat Matrix AI algorithm to analyze social media posts associated with championship events across multiple sports. The study examined over 72,000 flagged messages, with more than 5,000 confirmed to contain abusive, discriminatory, or threatening content. The analysis covered social media accounts of 3,164 student-athletes, 489 coaches, 197 game...
read Oct 9, 2024Wimbledon embraces AI, ditches line judges after 147 years
AI Takes Center Court at Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has announced a significant technological shift for the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, replacing human line judges with artificial intelligence across all 18 courts. After 147 years of tradition, Wimbledon will implement electronic line calling (ELC) technology to make "out" and "fault" calls, marking the end of an era for the iconic cream berets and navy blazers of human line judges. The decision aligns Wimbledon with other major tennis tournaments, such as the US Open and Australian Open, which have already adopted similar AI-powered officiating systems. This move reflects...
read Oct 7, 2024AI transforms sports coverage with ESPN-style broadcasts
AI-Driven Personalization in Sports Media: ESPN is poised to revolutionize sports content delivery by leveraging artificial intelligence to create customized versions of its iconic SportsCenter program for individual viewers. The evolution of SportsCenter: ESPN's flagship sports news program is set to undergo a significant transformation, moving away from its traditional format of charismatic anchors delivering sports highlights and analysis. SportsCenter has long been known for its dynamic duo of anchors providing entertaining coverage of daily sports events. The show's format has remained relatively consistent over the years, making it a staple of sports broadcasting. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro envisions a...
read Sep 10, 2024ESPN is Now Using AI to Recap Women’s Soccer
AI-generated sports recaps debut on ESPN: ESPN has begun publishing AI-generated recaps of women's soccer games, with plans to expand to other sports, raising concerns about the future of sports journalism and the quality of coverage. The AI-generated recaps are produced using Microsoft AI technology, with human involvement limited to reviewing for quality and accuracy. ESPN claims these AI-generated stories will "augment" rather than replace its existing content, positioning them as a way to cover more underserved sports. Each AI-generated article is clearly labeled as produced by "ESPN Generative AI Services" and includes a note explaining that it's based on...
read Sep 10, 2024Amazon’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ A.I. Features Help Viewers Predict Game Play
AI-powered features enhance Amazon's 'Thursday Night Football' viewing experience: Amazon Prime Video is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to provide viewers with predictive insights during NFL broadcasts, aiming to give fans a deeper understanding of the game. Amazon is introducing new on-screen guide features powered by AI for the upcoming season of "Thursday Night Football" (TNF). These features are designed to help viewers anticipate and better comprehend game play before it happens. The additions build upon existing AI-driven elements like "defensive alerts" that track defensive player movements and identify potential quarterback rushers. New AI features unveiled: Amazon's latest AI-powered...
read Sep 5, 2024AI Sports Startup Raises $1.8M to Democratize Elite Coaching
Sports technology startup secures significant funding: SportAI, an Oslo-based company utilizing artificial intelligence for sports performance improvement, has successfully closed a $1.8 million seed funding round. Platform capabilities and target market: SportAI's cloud-based platform offers real-time sports technique coaching, commentary, and analysis using advanced technologies. The platform employs machine learning, computer vision, and biometric technology to provide instant feedback on player technique. It caters to a B2B market, including coaches, training facilities, broadcasters, and sports equipment brands and retailers. The technology can analyze techniques in sports like golf and tennis, comparing individual performance to thousands of other players, including professionals....
read Aug 21, 2024IBM and the US Tennis Association Are Using AI to Elevate Match Coverage
AI-powered enhancements at the U.S. Open: IBM and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) are set to introduce cutting-edge generative AI features at the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament, elevating the fan experience and match coverage to new heights. The collaboration builds upon a partnership spanning over three decades, showcasing IBM's commitment to innovation in sports technology. These AI-driven enhancements aim to provide more comprehensive and timely coverage of all matches, freeing up editorial teams to focus on creating other valuable content. Key AI features unveiled: The new generative AI capabilities are designed to offer fans deeper insights and more...
read Aug 15, 2024The Premier League is Using AI and iPhones to Make Offsides Decisions
The Premier League is set to revolutionize its offside detection technology, moving away from the current VAR system to a more advanced and precise solution developed by Genius Sports. A technological leap in football officiating: The Premier League is preparing to implement a new offside detection system called "Semi-Assisted Offside Technology" (SAOT), marking a significant advancement in the use of technology in football. Developed by Genius Sports, SAOT aims to provide more accurate offside decisions compared to the current VAR system. The new technology is expected to be rolled out before the end of the year and will continue to...
read Aug 14, 2024NASCAR and Lenovo Use AI to Perfect Pit Stop Refueling
Revolutionizing refueling: Richard Childress Racing has partnered with Lenovo to introduce an AI-powered system that promises to transform pit stop efficiency in NASCAR races, particularly in the critical area of refueling. The pit stop challenge: NASCAR races typically involve 5-12 pit stops per event, with refueling playing a crucial role in race strategy and performance. Pit crews must work with precision and speed, as every second in the pit can impact a driver's position on the track. NASCAR vehicles lack fuel gauges, forcing teams to rely on careful monitoring and estimation of fuel usage throughout the race. Traditionally, teams have...
read Aug 8, 2024Olympics Committee Using New AI to Predict Which Sports Children Will Excel At
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is leveraging artificial intelligence to revolutionize talent identification in sports, potentially transforming how future Olympians are discovered and nurtured. AI-powered talent spotting system: Intel has developed an innovative technology that uses artificial intelligence to assess an individual's physical attributes and suggest suitable sports based on their capabilities. The system evaluates participants through a series of physical tests, including running, jumping, and grip strength measurements. Collected data is compared against profiles of professional athletes to determine which sports an individual might excel in. This technology is being tested at the Paris Olympics, offering a glimpse into...
read Aug 6, 2024An AI-Powered Data Center is Heating the Olympic Pool
Innovative heat recycling at the Olympics: A new data center in Paris is being utilized to heat the Olympic Aquatics Center, demonstrating a novel approach to energy efficiency in the face of increasing power demands from artificial intelligence. The PA10 data center, owned by Equinix, channels its waste heat into a local energy system operated by French utility company Engie. At full capacity, the data center is expected to export 6.6 thermal megawatts of heat, sufficient to warm over 1,000 homes. This initiative is part of a broader European trend to repurpose data center heat for building warmth, as AI...
read Aug 5, 2024AI is Being Used to Shield Olympic Athletes From Online Abuse
The 2024 Summer Olympics will employ an AI-powered system to combat online abuse targeting athletes and officials, marking a significant step in protecting participants' mental health and performance in the digital age. Innovative AI solution for athlete protection: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to implement an AI algorithm called Threat Matrix to scan and identify abusive social media content directed at Olympic athletes and officials. Threat Matrix will analyze posts across major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). The system is capable of processing content in over 35 languages, ensuring comprehensive coverage of...
read Aug 2, 2024How AI and Sports Science Accelerate Team USA’s Olympic Training
A key technological advancement is transforming how elite American athletes train for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee's main athletic training facility in Colorado Springs showcases how science and technology are optimizing athlete performance to maintain the country's medal dominance. Harnessing sports science for peak performance: The training facility brings together various disciplines to help athletes gain that extra fraction of a percent in human performance: Sport physiology focuses on optimizing athletes' abilities to jump further, go faster, or go for longer. Sports dietetics, psychology, and technology also play crucial roles in supporting athletes'...
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