The prestigious tennis tournament Wimbledon will introduce artificial intelligence (AI) into its commentary system this year to give fans a more immersive experience.
Tech giant IBM announced Wednesday that its AI-powered commentary tool will be used for all video highlights during Wimbledon, allowing fans to engage with the tournament on a deeper level.
According to an IBM press release, the AI commentary feature will be accessible through Wimbledon’s website and app, allowing fans to turn audio commentary and subtitles on and off for key moments of the match. The introduction of this technology is aimed at making commentary available in exciting ways outside of Wimbledon’s show courts, where live human commentary is already available.
To develop the AI system, experts worked with Wimbledon organizers to train the AI system in a tennis-specific language. The technology builds on Wimbledon’s existing use of AI, including match insights, highlight reels and power index leaderboards. Additionally, the AI provides singles draw analysis and calculates a player’s chances of reaching the finals.
Kevin Farrar, sports partnerships leader at IBM, emphasized that AI complements, rather than replaces, the human element in sports commentary. He emphasized the irreplaceable presence of prominent tennis figure John McEnroe. Farrar sees AI as a complement that improves the overall commentary experience.
Wimbledon 2023 is scheduled to start on July 3rd and end on July 16th. The announcement follows a broader trend towards bringing technology into tennis. The men’s ATP Tour announced in April that it plans to replace on-court linesman with electronic lineman from 2025. The introduction of AI is aimed at optimizing accuracy and consistency across tournaments.
IBM’s AI-generated commentary was also employed at the Golf Masters Tournament in April, providing insight and analysis to over 20,000 video clips throughout the event. As sports embrace technological advancements, AI is becoming an integral part of improving the viewing experience and providing comprehensive coverage to fans around the world.
