5-Minute Read
The technology taking the world by storm – “AI” or artificial intelligence – continues to dominate daily headlines in major sports publications. And with the public’s recent obsession with ChatGPT, there appears to be no slow down for discovering and implementing new AI capabilities.
Teams and their affiliate brands have already begun implementing AI into daily operations while simultaneously testing the market with more advanced applications. Because the Artificial Intelligence market is valued at over $136 billion currently and is set to rise to $309.6 billion by 2026, taking a critical look now at your AI use and strategy will pay dividends down the road. Dive into the ways sports teams are already using AI (and how you can start using it today) as well as discover what to anticipate in the years ahead.
The Current State
It’s no surprise that most professional sports teams already use artificial intelligence in one way or another. In fact, video AI was used at the 2022 World Cup to assist referees in making more accurate calls. Additional AI capabilities include analyzing and collecting athlete performance data and other important health metrics in order to reach conclusions faster and condense information into digestible summaries.
Sports betting has also proved to be the perfect market for AI with leaders using it to more quickly predict odds as well as break down complex betting information into a way every fan can understand.
ChatGPT is the clear go-to AI application for teams looking to stay relevant. Because of its booming popularity, its current market valuation is sitting at a hefty $29B. Some teams have started using ChatGPT within website chatbots, helping visitors more quickly navigate to the right content or page all hours of the day. Other teams use ChatGPT as a starting point for mass social media content creation then buttoning up the final details to ensure quality assurance.
When it comes to draft day, teams can turn to AI to examine different possibilities and probabilities for player scenarios – giving them a good taste of what talent will sit best on their roster. In baseball, teams can use AI to determine the best time to “pull their pitcher” or to understand the benefits of making different moves throughout the game that will swing momentum. With new AI developments hitting the market each week, expect use cases to multiply exponentially in coming years.
Easy AI Capabilities to Implement Today
If you haven’t started using AI in your day to day operations, you may be falling behind the curve. Especially in sports, every inch of a competitive edge can make a world of difference. Don’t let others take the lead – position your team as an AI thought leader among your fans, affiliate brands, and partners to show you’re on top of your game. So how do you begin?
1. See What's Already There
Examine your current tech stack and ask yourself which applications already have existing AI capabilities and which ones don’t. DIGIDECK, for instance, offers AI Assist to create content, summarize lengthy call transcripts, or modify existing information from right within presentations.
Other leaders in the tech space, like WordPress, have implemented AI into their web development interface, giving users a way to take advantage when building or adjusting content on their website.
2. Teams Of All Sizes Can Benefit
Feeling the mounting pressure but have a small, scrappy team? For teams with limited bandwidth, AI can act as the perfect extension of your team – allowing you to “button up the details” instead of “recreating the wheel” each time.
Our own DIGIDECK Marketing Team, for instance, uses AI Assist when we’re in need of a creative boost for slide content or when we need to quickly identify and summarize key takeaways for follow-up conversations.
If you don’t currently use AI, consider signing up for ChatGPT or a similar solution as they offer free account access to get started. Once you’ve “dipped your toes in the water” of AI, brainstorm with your team all the ways you could be using it to get quality work done in less time.
3. Do Your Research
Lastly, create or research prompts to get the answers you need from ChatGPT or your AI application. For instance, “write me an introductory paragraph for someone who has never seen a DIGIDECK.” will work a lot more effectively than “what is DIGIDECK?” when working within AI Assist.
Looking Ahead
The future is limitless with AI in the driver’s seat. What can we anticipate AI will look like a few years from now? 10 years from now? While the exact reality is impossible to predict, experts say an AI-immersed world isn’t far away.
Ultimately, the use of AI in the sports industry creates an environment of continuous improvement and enhanced athletic performance. It highlights the value of data analytics in creating a deeper understanding of players and teams, offering coaches and staff with physical insight into emerging trends and strategies… With increased capabilities and access to data, AI-enabled systems are likely to become even more embedded into the world of sports in the coming years – changing not only how people experience sports but how they train athletes and evaluate team selections.
With AI slowly becoming a part of nearly every facet of the game, lines on what’s “human” and what’s “AI” will likely become blurred. As AI gets “better”, it will learn how to be even more accurate and precise. Still, content creators can rest assured knowing that a human element is always recommended to finalize or approve any item before publishing.
Whether you’re ready or not, AI is well on its way to dominating the sports world. Follow the steps outlined in our playbook to set your team up for success this season:
- Discover current use cases and AI capabilities
- Learn how to get started with AI
- Leverage recommended prompts
- Anticipate the future
For more information on DIGIDECK’s AI solution, meet with an expert.
