This Week in AI
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February 19, 2025

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Hey, it's Anti-AI Frieda, and welcome to another edition!

TL;DR

In this edition, we're diving into AI in the sports industry to see what's happening. Is it truly game-changing, or is it just all hype? Let's find out!

Would you let AI call the plays?

Why AI in Sports Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

Let's get real about AI in sports for a minute because the hype train needs to slow down.

Ever watched an AI try to "understand" the complexity of a championship game? It's like watching a robot try to explain why players get in the zone or why crowds affect performance.

Look, sports isn't just about processing patterns and optimizing play selections.

We're talking about gut instincts, reading opponents, and working with human emotions, not against them.

But sure, let's let some AI that learned about basketball from Silicon Valley's datasets make our fourth-quarter decisions.

Big tech keeps going on about how AI makes sports more scientific. You know what else is scientific?

• Actually understanding player psychology
• Reading the momentum of the game
• Having real connections with your team
• Making decisions based on experience, not just algorithms

Professor BigTech can talk about "revolutionizing sports" all day long, but let's be real - you can't program championship mentality into a machine.

Know why great coaches exist? Because coaching is about instinct, connection to players, and understanding the messy reality of emotions, fatigue, and team dynamics.

Try explaining to an AI why sometimes you need to trust a rookie in clutch time despite the stats, why some players perform better under pressure despite poor practice metrics, or why traditional coaching methods still work best in certain situations.

Big companies aren't pushing AI because it makes better athletes.