AI (artificial intelligence)

INTRODUCTION
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence
processes by machines, especially computer systems. These
processes include learning (the acquisition of information and rules for
using the information), reasoning (using rules to reach approximate or
definite conclusions) and self-correction. Particular applications of AI
include expert systems, speech recognition and machine vision.

AI can be categorized as either weak or strong.

 Weak AI, also known as narrow AI, is an AI system that is

designed and trained for a particular task. Virtual personal
assistants, such as Apple's Siri, are a form of weak AI.
 Strong AI, also known as artificial general intelligence, is an AI
system with generalized human cognitive abilities. When
presented with an unfamiliar task, a strong AI system is able to
find a solution without human intervention.

Because hardware, software and staffing costs for AI can be

expensive, many vendors are including AI components in their standard
offerings, as well as access to Artificial Intelligence as a Service
(AIaaS) platforms. AI as a Service allows individuals and companies to
experiment with AI for various business purposes and sample multiple
platforms before making a commitment. Popular AI cloud offerings
include Amazon AI services, IBM Watson Assistant, Microsoft Cognitive
Services and Google AI services.

While AI tools present a range of new functionality for

businesses ,the use of artificial intelligence raises ethical questions.
This is because deep learning algorithms, which underpin many of the
most advanced AI tools, are only as smart as the data they are given in
training. Because a human selects what data should be used for
training an AI program, the potential for human bias is inherent and
must be monitored closely.

Some industry experts believe that the term artificial intelligence is too
closely linked to popular culture, causing the general public to have
unrealistic fears about artificial intelligence and improbable
expectations about how it will change the workplace and life in general.
Researchers and marketers hope the label augmented intelligence,
which has a more neutral connotation, will help people understand that
AI will simply improve products and services, not replace the humans
that use them.

Types of artificial intelligence

Arend Hintze, an assistant professor of integrative biology and

computer science and engineering at Michigan State University,
categorizes AI into four types, from the kind of AI systems that exist
today to sentient systems, which do not yet exist. His categories are as
follows:

 Type 1: Reactive machines. An example is Deep Blue,

the IBM chess program that beat Garry Kasparov in the 1990s.
Deep Blue can identify pieces on the chess board and make
predictions, but it has no memory and cannot use past
experiences to inform future ones. It analyzes possible moves -
- its own and its opponent -- and chooses the most strategic
move. Deep Blue and Google's AlphaGO were designed for
narrow purposes and cannot easily be applied to another
situation.
 Type 2: Limited memory. These AI systems can use past
experiences to inform future decisions. Some of the decision-
making functions in self-driving cars are designed this way.
 Observations inform actions happening in the not-so-distant
future, such as a car changing lanes. These observations are not
stored permanently.
 Type 3: Theory of mind. This psychology term refers to the
understanding that others have their own beliefs,
desires and intentions that impact the decisions they make. This
kind of AI does not yet exist.
 Type 4: Self-awareness. In this category, AI systems have a
sense of self, have consciousness. Machines with self-awareness
understand their current state and can use the information to infer
what others are feeling. This type of AI does not yet exist .

What's the difference between AI and cognitive computing?

Examples of AI technology

AI is incorporated into a variety of different types of technology. Here

are seven examples.
 Automation: What makes a system or process function
automatically. For example, robotic process automation (RPA)
can be programmed to perform high-volume, repeatable tasks
that humans normally performed. RPA is different from IT
automation in that it can adapt to changing circumstances.
 Machine learning: The science of getting a computer to act
without programming . Deeplearning is a subset of machine
learning that, in very simple terms, can be thought of as the
automation of predictive analytics. There are three types of
machine learning algorithms:
o Supervised learning: Data sets are labeled so that patterns
can be detected and used to label new data sets
o Unsupervised learning: Data sets aren't labeled and are
sorted according to similarities or differences
o Reinforcement learning: Data sets aren't labeled but, after
performing an action or several actions, the AI system is
given feedback
 Machine vision: The science of allowing computers to see. This
technology captures and analyzes visual information using a
camera, analog-to-digital conversion and digital signal processing.
It is often compared to human eyesight, but machine vision isn't
bound by biology and can be programmed to see through walls, for
example. It is used in a range of applications from signature
identification to medical image analysis. Computer vision, which is
focused on machine-based image processing, is often conflated
with machine vision.
 Natural language processing (NLP): The processing of human --
and not computer -- language by a computer program. One of the
older and best known examples of NLP is spam detection, which
looks at the subject line and the text of an email and decides if it's
junk. Current approaches to NLP are based on machine learning.
NLP tasks include text translation, sentiment analysis and speech
recognition.
 Robotics: A field of engineering focused on the design and
manufacturing of robots. Robots are often used to perform tasks
that are difficult for humans to perform or perform consistently.
They are used in assembly lines for car production or by NASA to
 move large objects in space. Researchers are also using machine
learning to build robots that can interact in social settings.
 Self-driving cars: These use a combination of computer
vision, image recognition anddeep learning to build automated skill
at piloting a vehicle while staying in a given lane and avoiding
unexpected obstructions, such as pedestrians.
AI Applications in Major Sports
1 – Chatbots for Sports / Sports Teams

NBA

In June 2016, in partnership with Sapien, a custom bot developer (formerly

known as JiffyBots), the Sacramento Kings introduced a chatbot called
KAI – an acronym for Kings Artificial Intelligence.

The chatbot operates through the Facebook Messenger platform for the
purpose of answering fan inquiries including info about franchise history,
current team stats, the team roster, franchise history and details about the
Golden 1 Center, the home arena of the Sacramento Kings.

While the franchise is keeping details on the number of users and their
strategic goals for the chatbot under wraps for now, Kings CTO Ryan
Montoya has stated his “commitment to utilizing technology to enhance the
fan experience.” In fact, the franchise claims that the Golden 1 Center is
the “world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable arena.”

A screen shot of the Sacramento Kings KAI chatbot

According to a 2016 report published by communications firm Avaya,“a
digitally connected fan is becoming a [sports] venue’s biggest online
influencer.”
“Stadium owners and teams that provide more personalized digital
experiences through stadium apps, digital offers direct to mobile phones,
and game information on digital boards can increase fan engagement and
generate new revenue opportunities.”– Connected Sports Fans 2016
report by Avaya
Hailing from Silicon Valley, team owner Vivek Ranadive is shaping the
vision for the Kings and it appears that technology is a priority:

“The mission is to build a winning franchise…And so we have to win, and

we have to win a championship. And that’s the goal; that’s a given. But
the fans here are pretty amazing; they’re actually heavy consumers of
technology. It’s a young fan base; we have 160,000 young people in this
area. And they have a voracious appetite for technology and for new
things. And so I think the fans are ahead of us. I don’t think we are ahead
of the fans.” -Vivek Ranadive, 2015 interview with the Sacramento Bee.
NHL

The NHL is also incorporating AI into its customer engagement framework.

In April 2017, Tampa Bay Lightning partnered with Satisfi Labs, a company
that designs virtual assistants, to bring its chatbot to ice hockey
enthusiasts. “Thunder Bot” can respond to fans’ questions regarding
various topics including specifics about Amalie arena (Tampa Bay
Lightning’s home arena), tickets to games and general parking information
for game day. Human customer service representatives will be able to
intervene if the bot is unable to provide a satisfactory response to an
inquiry.

Thunder Bot is designed for functionality across multiple Tampa Bay

Lightning platforms including the team’s official website, the Tampa Bay
Lightning text club (text alerts) and NHL and Amalie Arena apps. While a
specific date has not been specified the ice hockey franchise also plans to
integrate its virtual assistant into the Facebook Messenger platform.

The Lightning’s VP of Marketing, Eric Blankenship, has stated that the

Thunder Bot “will make it much easier and convenient for our fans to attend
games” and keep up with team. However, when Thunder Bot was
announced to the public, the franchise did not disclose any data to show
specifically how the bot will improve customer service.

In a published case study, Satisfi Labs describes how it worked with an

unnamed “leading sports entertainment franchise” to boost awareness and
revenue of premium offerings to ticket buyers through a “native client app.”
The company claims that over 50 percent of individuals who saw the Satisfi
feature actually used it. Satisfi Labs estimates that projected annual
revenue was roughly $25,000.

2 – Computer Vision Applications in Sport

NASCAR

Safety continues to be a primary focus for NASCAR, the sport has

averaged more than one death annually since 1950 and shows a continued
trend in the past five years. Fatal crashes are both tragic and costly.
A single race car is estimated at $300,000 (not including repair,
maintenance or labor costs) and tires are changed every race with a
reported price tag of $500 per tire.

Argo AI/Ford Motor Company has used deep learning to develop self-
driving cars and is now expanding its application of deep learning to help
improve safety measures in the world of auto racing.

Specifically, the design team recognized that its deep learning neural
network was capable of identifying specific cars using images. The design
team originally used a dataset containing thousands of images to train the
neural network. It is unclear as to how much better the network performed
but the team claims it was particularly evident in the case of blurry images.
The reduced visibility is due to high speeds at which the cars are moving.

As the network gained proficiency, it reportedly provided more accurate

results than humans in its ability to identify specific race cars. The ability to
quickly identify and access a car that is experiencing a malfunction during a
race is significant; small malfunctions can quickly lead to more serious
problems such as fires, putting the driver in danger.
 A photograph
of slides, presenting Argo AI/NASCAR’s computer vision application. Image courtesy of
NVIDIA’s company blog

Another
photograph of the same presentation
Ford has made a $1 billion investment in Pittsburgh-based Argo AI over the
next five years as the company aims toward bringing its first autonomous
vehicle to market in 2021. The International Speedway Corporation (ISC),
NASCAR’s parent corporation, reported $661 million in revenue in 2016.

(Readers with a direct interest in computer vision applications may be

interested in listening to our full interviews with computer vision experts Igal
Raichelgauz and Nathan Hurst.)
3 – Automated Sports Journalism

Minor League Baseball (MiLB)

AI is ushering in a new era of sports journalism through automation. The

Associated Press is working with Automated Insights, a North Carolina-
based startup to expand the media outlet’s coverage of games in Minor
League Baseball.

Wordsmith, developed by Automated Insights, is AI-driven platform that

translates hard data from MiLB into narratives, using natural language. As
a result, AP has increased its reporting capacity to cover 13 leagues and
142 MLB-affiliated teams. Automated Insights claims that this translates to
“3,700 quarterly earnings stories – a 12-fold increase over [AP’s] manual
efforts.”

AP is one of 200 clients using the Wordsmith platform which generates a

reported 1.5 billion pieces of content annually. To date, Automated Insights
has reportedly raised $10.8 million in Series A and Series B funding from
10 investors which includes a mix of startup partners, venture capitalists
and investment firms.

Sports works well for automated journalism since sports stats are numbers-
based. These data can be structured in a way which makes automated
articles easy to write. Emerj has conducted research on automated
journalism, exploring the breadth current applications across industries.

4 – Wearable AI Tech

Boxing

PIQ, a French sports robotics startup and Everlast joined forces to develop
what is described as the “first AI-powered wearable for combat sports.”
Crafted using GAIA Intelligence, (machine learning platform for sports
analytics) the startup claims that the platform is capable of tracking and
analyzing “microscopic variations in boxing movements” to help maximize
the efficiency of workouts and training.

The data that are recorded can also be accessed through a phone app
which allows users to track their activity and see how they compare to other
users based on a leaderboard.
To date, PIQ has reportedly raised $5.5 million in Series A funding from 3
investors. Time will tell if this promising collaboration will make a
sustainable impact on the sport of boxing.

Connected Sneakers
India-based Boltt Sports Technologies is looking to disrupt the international
market with its brand of AI-powered wearable products. The company is
attempting an interconnected approach to its offerings which include
“connected sneakers,” fitness trackers and a “stride sensor.”

The connected sneakers are designed with a stride sensor which can be
synced via bluetooth with the company’s app. Using machine learning, the
app tracks performance data and then provides recommendations based
on user goals. Other app features include a nutrition guide, workout library
and custom training programs.

“We’re trying to displace the need for a nutritionist, a doctor, and an

activity center.” “We think that this is the next thing for the future of
wearables, where you need to go beyond just tracking.” – Aayushi
Kishore, co-founder, Boltt Sports Technologies (Sports Illustrated,
January 2017)
Prior to launching Boltt, in 2011 co-founder and CMO, Aayushi Kishore
established a shoe brand in India called Globalite. Estimated annual
revenues for Globalite which became a competitor of international shoe
brands (such as Nike and Adidas) totaled $7.5 million USD (500 million
rupees). To date, Boltt has reportedly raised $600,000 in total equity
funding in its quest to become an internationally competitive brand.

Potential Future Applications

Next, we will explore some potential future applications of AI in professional
sports. It is important to note that is not an exhaustive list. We aimed to
provide a high-level view of major applications that emerging from the
sports industry, giving readers a sense of technologies that either (a) may
become mainstream, or (b) are indicative of an important future trend.

1 – AI Assistant Coaches

NFL

Using AI to help NFL teams develop and/or improve game strategies may
not be too far in the distant future. Oregon State University researcher Alan
Fern is using videos of games and deep learning to train computers how to
understand the game of football and coach plays.

Effective coaching is a skill that requires experience and is developed

overtime; it is also an imperfect science. Computers could possibly provide
coaches and teams with improved accuracy in analyzing common mistakes
and improving plays at a faster rate than humans.

“For example, knowing how players move during a game could help
coaches plan an athlete’s training so he reaches peak performance. It
could also shed light on the best matchups between receivers and
cornerbacks and measure the contribution of each player to every
play.” – Alan Fern, a computer science professor at Oregon State
University
While the ROI on developing virtual assistant coaches may not be readily
apparent, the focus is on using deep learning to uncover strategic insights
that may not have been previously achievable.

2 – Smart Ticketing

NLS

The San Francisco Deltas, a new soccer team that debuted in 2017,
aspires to use AI to build and increase fan engagement. Among the team’s
interest is smart ticketing, a technology that allows ticket buyers to change
seats, from game to game, based on their backgrounds and interests.

For example, a fan could sit with their family during one match and move to
a section with a “louder, more energetic supporters’ section.” This option
follows a industry-wide trend of enhancing sports fan’s experience with
their favorite teams.

3 – Automated Video Highlights

Tennis

IBM announced plans to enhance the Wimbledon experience using

cognitive computing capabilities through the Watson platform beginning in
2017. Examples, include AI-automated video highlights. CNBC put together
a video explaining how IBM’s system picked up “key moments” in the
match by drawing data from players, fans, and more:

IBM claims its technology will support a team of research scientists and
consultants, to automatically curate game highlights based on game-
specific data such as “analysis of crowd noise, player’s’ movements and
match data.”

The process of organizing and processing video highlights can normally

take hours and IBM aims to significantly accelerate the process. It is not
clear from the company’s announcement, how much faster they expect
their platform to perform this procedure.

4 – Computer Vision Referee

Tennis

Bay Area-based French inventor Grégoire Gentil has designed a $199

pocket-size device that called “Tennis In/Out”, which uses computer vision
to detect the speed and placement of a tennis shot – including whether the
ball was out of bounds:

While the device is currently a novelty application, it demonstrates the

increasing accessibility of AI software and camera hardware. Hobbyist AI
applications are today still rather novel, but it’s unlikely to remain rare as
open source AI tools and online education courses flourish. Combinations
of IoT and AI are becoming more popular, and we presume that sports (and
broadly: Health) will be an industry ripe for innovation of this kind.

5 - Virtual Umpires

We have already seen the use of the Decision Review System (DRS) and
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) which utilises slow motion replays, hawk-
eye and other technologies in sports such as cricket, tennis and soccer.
The current process involves the team or player requesting the review or
where there is umpire uncertainty. As a result, another party may get
involved to help the main umpire make a decision. The whole process not
only takes up time but takes away some of the excitement and momentum
of the game.

However, with the advancement of camera technology coupled with AI

software, the role of the umpire is moving more towards on-field player
behaviour management than actually making critical decisions in moments
that matter. Technology is already out there which uses computer vision to
detect the speed and placement of tennis shots, including whether the ball
was in or out of bounds instantly – no need for line umpires! Imagine a
future where an umpire’s glasses and earpieces are powered with AI to
inform them “instantly” on what the correct decision should be, eliminating
time spent on reviewing decisions.
 But do the fans actually want the perfect decision being made perfectly all
the time? The human element of making mistakes under pressure is a point
of fan engagement (positive or negative) and causes excitement or
frustration within games. Just imagine the last quarter of the AFL Grand
Final being stopped a hundred times because of fouls. You would think the
fans would prefer to see the contest unfold without too many stoppages?
Will the game become more sterile…?

Isn’t it annoying that the last wicket of almost every cricket match is being
reviewed unnecessarily, delaying a team from instantly celebrating?
Depending on the sporting code, there needs to be a balance between
technology and the human element. Only time will tell where it works best
or whether we want it all...

Concluding Thoughts on AI in the Sports Industry

AI is impacting nearly every major professional sport. This is a timely
disruption of the industry as media involvement becomes increasingly
important as the leading source of revenue in professional sports.

It is clear from the direction of this trend that fans are demanding more
access to their favorite sports team and technology is a necessary conduit
to meeting this demand. AI is providing customized frameworks for fans to
feel closer than ever to the players and the game.

More personalized experiences and more helpful automated interactions

may well mean more fan loyalty and engagement over time. In this respect,
artificial intelligence in sport won’t be much different than its applications in
media and software generally.

Wearable tech is another application of AI in sports that holds great

promise for future growth. Companies are realizing the need to go beyond
just tracking data to converting it to meaningful insights that actually help
athletes meet their performance goals. These products can also appeal to
fitness enthusiasts as well as professional athletes, offering wide market
reach.

The NCAA estimates that nearly 8 million individuals currently participate in

high school athletics. On the professional front, the U.S. Olympic
Committee’s director of technology and innovation, Mounir Zok, has
stated that wearable tech contributed to Team USA earning 121 medals at
the 2016 summer Olympic Games.
Wearable tech could easily move from a competitive advantage to a
standard component of athletic training in the coming years. As in the world
of heavy industry and manufacturing (where we covered recently), smart
companies may be able to gain a continual edge over the competition by
gaining more and more granular data on their equipment – in this case –
the athletes themselves.

It’s important to note that most of the applications of AI in sport are still in a
“test” or “pilot” phase, and it may be another three or four years before
stadium chatbots and IoT wearables become commonplace and clearly
advantageous. They may cost more than they return for the time being, but
companies making the investment are hoping to stay ahead of the pack as
the innovations deliver returns.

We will continue to monitor how the industry evolves as we anticipate

steady implementation of AI overtime.

THANK YOU
REFERENCE

 https://analyticstraining.com/beyond-moneyball-how-ai-is-transforming-sports/
 https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/artificial-intelligence-in-sports/
 https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/03/15/heres-how-ai-will-change-the-
world-of-sports/
 PINTEREST
CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 COMPONENTS
 TYPES
 EXAMPLES
 APPLICATION IN SPORTS INDUSTRIES
 POTENTIAL FUTURE USES
 REFERENCES
 NIFT KOLKATA

INTRODUCTION TO
ARTIFICIAL INTELLEGENCE

ASSIGNMENT-1
ARTIFICIAL INTELLEGENCE IN
SPORTS INDUSTRIES

SUBMITTED TO:
Mr.J.P.Behera

SUBMITTED BY:
Debdeep Ghosh