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This year’s Wimbledon starts on July 3rd.
CNN
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Sports broadcasters, please look away.
On Wednesday, technology company IBM said artificial intelligence (AI) will be incorporated into tennis commentary at this year’s Wimbledon, apparently helping fans engage in the tournament “at a deeper level.”
The new feature will be used in all video highlight packages during Wimbledon, according to a press release from IBM, which developed the AI commentary tool.
Fans will be able to watch on Wimbledon’s website and app after the tournament, providing audio commentary and captions for key moments and turning them on and off.
“This year’s introduction is another step toward making commentary available in exciting ways outside of Wimbledon’s show court, where live human commentary is already available,” the press release said. .
He added that experts worked with Wimbledon organizers to “train the AI in the unique language of tennis.”
Wimbledon already uses AI to provide match insights, highlight reels and power index leaderboards. This year, in addition to video commentary, we’re using AI to provide draw analysis and calculate a player’s chances of reaching the final with a singles draw.
Kevin Farrar, sports partnerships leader at IBM, said he believes AI “would greatly complement the human element, rather than replace it,” when it comes to sports commentary.
“You can’t replace John McEnroe as commentator,” Farrar said, according to The Telegraph. “There has to always be a human element.” “It’s very complementary and complementary.”
McEnroe is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, three-time Wimbledon winner, and currently works as a tennis critic.
This year’s Wimbledon starts on July 3rd and runs until July 16th.
The latest announcements about how AI technology is being used in tournaments are part of a broader trend in tennis to embrace technology in the sport.
The men’s ATP Tour announced in April that from 2025 on-court linesmen will be replaced by electronic calls. The ATP said the move was aimed at “optimizing accuracy and consistency across tournaments.”
At the golf Masters tournament in April, IBM provided AI-generated commentary for more than 20,000 video clips during the event.
