Using AI in Sports Will Improve Integrity and Fairness of the Industry, Says Info-Tech Research Group

Implementing AI and ML to improve processes within the sports industry is essential to drive efficiencies and improve the overall game.

TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Officiating in sports has always been controversial; fans and spectators can be skeptical of some of the decisions officials make during a game. As well, there is a history of gambling scandals and other bad decisions made by referees that set a precedent for skepticism. Implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to improve processes within the business is essential to drive efficiencies and improve the overall game. To help IT leaders overcome challenges in improving the sports industry, global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has published its new industry blueprint titled Digitally Transform the Process of Officiating in Sports. 

"The spots landscape poses a great challenge for technology to overcome by using digital, data, AI, and ML to drive more efficient and trustworthy processes." says Elizabeth Silva, Research Analyst, Sports Entertainment Industry at Info-Tech Research Group. "By combining people and technology processes, the integrity and fairness of sports will improve, while enhancing the quality of the game."

Before implementing any AI and ML for on-field decision making, Info-Tech recommends IT leaders review the considerations, potentials, and limitations. For example, capturing the enormous amount of data required to digitize the sports industry is a challenge.

The research acknowledges that AI and ML are not low-cost investments, creating an intimidating investment for a business to decide on before fully investigating its current state and potential capabilities for the organization. Due to the advancements of AI and ML over the years, it sometimes can be difficult for business leaders to understand how they work. Also, these technologies are not broadly used for officiating, making it challenging to determine how they could or would be used to assist officials in making decisions.

Info-Tech predicts that the future will be driven by AI and ML, with these technologies working together in decision making. The firm's resource emphasizes that it is important for tech leaders who are seeking to improve the sports industry to consider the type of architecture, implementation model, vendor, and strategy needed to transform officiating successfully. When determining the approach, Info-Tech suggests the following considerations:

1. Artificial intelligence performs tasks mimicking human intelligence. AI is a combination of data-driven technologies that includes tools such as machine learning, where it learns from experience and problem solving.
2. Machine learning systems learn from experience. They learn patterns from data, then analyze and make predictions based on past behavior and patterns.
3. Deep learning is a class of machine learning algorithms that can be learned in supervised or unsupervised manners. Most are based off artificial neural networks, which are inspired by the structure of the brain.

The blueprint highlights how machine learning and artificial intelligence work together in decision making, which can aid in transforming the process of officiating in sports. For example:

• Statistical reasoning: Statistical models are designed to find relationships between variables and the significance of those relationships.
• Machine learning: Machine learning is a subset of AI that discovers patterns from data without being explicitly programmed.
• Artificial intelligence: AI systems choose the optimal combination of methods to solve a problem. They make assumptions, reassess the model, and revaluate the data.

"AI and ML are both effective changes for the future; they will have an influential impact on digital transformation and innovation within many industries, including sports entertainment," explains Silva. "As AI and ML have many uses within sports, it's important to understand each use case individually to determine if it fits the specific organization."

According to the findings, digitally transforming different processes through technological advancements, such as officiating, is critical to improving the sports industry, where strategically combining people and technology processes will enhance the jobs of officials.

To learn more about the firm's findings on the topic, download the complete Digitally Transform the Process of Officiating in Sports blueprint, or visit Info-Tech's AI Research Center to kick start an AI and ML implementation process.

For more about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group