A 32-ounce Owala or Stanley tumbler for commuters is a small but healthy option. But maintaining just one hyperscale AI data center requires an enormous amount of water, specifically 64 billion 32-ounce tumblers.
According to Forbes writer Ken Silverstein, “ultra-large facilities are projected to consume between 16 billion and 33 billion gallons of water annually by 2028.” But while this environmental drain permeates every field, natural resources aren’t the only ones paying the price for sports’ technological revolution. Instead, it is measured by the exclusion of entry-level professionals, the erosion of creative strategies, and the intrusive surveillance of athletes’ biometric data.
AI in college sports
As fans focus on NFL and Premier League games, broadcasts rely on the same technology, putting a strain on scarce resources. This dependence on digital is not limited to professionals. Amateur athletics has become a testing ground for AI in sports. From high schools using Hudl to the University of Florida’s $2.5 million AI initiative, this technology in sports is becoming inevitable.
“They had us wear GPS vests during practice to track our intensity and load. That was really the only technology we used,” said former University of Kansas basketball player Isaiah Moss. By the way, Moss finished his college career in 2020.
In contrast, current University of Alabama guard Houston Mallett said, “We track everything possible. Advantage creation, rim pressure, all the stats…We have live stats of games and practices. It’s insane.” In just six years, departments like scouting, strategy, and recovery have been completely revamped by AI tools. The efficiency of this change is undeniable. But it comes at a price. It is about securing employment and depleting the scarce labor resources that humans can perform.
A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living warns, “Algorithms can now automate the scouting and talent identification process. This change creates a high risk of turnover for inexperienced or entry-level positions.” This study is based on the subjective insights of 14 international industry veterans with at least 5 years of work experience. Although the sample size is small, these are perspectives that can tell us what requirements are needed for entry-level jobs in the sports industry.
Threat to entry-level jobs?
These are the very entry-level roles started by Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra was the video coordinator. He arranged for film for the coaching staff to scout opponents and for the player development staff to train Heat players. His work ethic impressed management, and 30 years later, he became the head coach of a two-time NBA champion. Similarly, University of Michigan men’s basketball coach Dusty May also started as a student manager at Indiana University. He accepted video coordinator positions at both the University of Southern California and Indiana University. He rose through the coaching ranks to lead the University of Michigan and currently coaches a team ranked in the top five in the country. As AI grows, these entry-level roles that have given countless coaches the opportunity to show their creativity and ability to innovate in the field of sport may become obsolete.
Accessibility issues
Moreover, access remains limited to the most well-funded programs. “No, we have never used wearables or any kind of technology in our practices or reviews,” said Clifton Johnson, a former wrestler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Johnson competed with North Central High School in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference, one of the nation’s premier high school athletic conferences. Also from the MIC conference is former Pike football player Lamar Echols Jr. Echols Jr. currently plays wide receiver at Marian University.
“Marian only uses huddles, but bigger schools have equipment and things like that to prevent injuries,” he said. In the era of individual donors, generous alumni can provide resources that your competitors don’t. Because NIL and donors are unregulated, these types of facilities, technology, and connections can attract talent and turn around sports programs in an instant.
Eliminate human judgment from sports
However, the intensive use of AI and analytics could change the direction of the sport. Daryl Morey overhauled the Houston Rockets, ushering in a new era of analytics-based basketball. In 2018, the team made 42 3-pointers per night. The calculations show that if they take seven more shots than any other team in the league, they can dominate their opponents quantitatively. Nearly a decade later, three teams have surpassed that record, compounding complaints that the NBA’s style is too formulaic.
Analytics and AI-centric approaches are insightful, but they chip away at one of the greatest assets in sports, creativity, and human intelligence.
Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder took the NBA by storm with their historically great defense. They set the modern record for forced turnovers in a single game with a whopping 18 per game. Their coach thought it would be advantageous to be aggressive and rack up fouls and eventually cause turnovers. Or in 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays went against the grain by starting backup pitchers. This was a revolution in pitcher management and ultimately led to 90 wins that season.
One part of this new wave that remains to be figured out is ownership of data collected through AI programs. The Saint Louis University Law Journal Online described the athlete data collection as “Orwellian.” Teams can also use this technology to predict injuries, monitor location, and track blood alcohol levels. Not only is this an intrusion into an athlete’s private life, but it can also be used against the athlete in contract negotiations. The Journal of Sport and Health Science predicts that AI in sports will be worth $19.2 billion by 2030. For sports to reach its full potential at this pace, there are still many unknowns surrounding this technology.
The transition to an era driven by algorithms and complex calculations has tangible costs. Fans and consumers should ask themselves: Do you want a sports product determined by competing algorithms? Would you feel safe knowing that the athletes who bring you joy are being relentlessly monitored with limited regulations regarding biometric data? Most importantly, when billions of people around the world are at risk. Is it ethical to observe rare and valuable resources being used in sport?As we move towards an automated future, we need to decide whether we are using technology to enhance sport, or only as a means to solve the problems it creates.
This article was written for Cardinal Media by a student in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication in a supervised classroom setting. It is not produced by Independent Student Media.
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