Artificial Intelligence

AI: Sports

Is AI the ultimate competitive advantage in sports or an ungoverned threat undermining its integrity?

AUG 1·Updated AUG 28

Context

Above: A robot takes part in a basketball shooting training at the Hangzhou Robot School, China, on June 29. Image credit: Wang Gang/China News Service/VCG/Getty Images

The Facts

Origins: AI has been used in sports for decades, but the emergence of generative AI and large language models has significantly accelerated its adoption. Computer vision algorithms now track player movements with precision, machine learning models predict injury risks and automated systems enhance broadcast quality. The global AI in sports market was valued at more than $2 billion in recent years, and projections estimate growth from $8.9 billion in 2024 to over $27.6 billion by 2030.
FOX News
WSC Sports
Morgan Stanley
Sports Summit
Officiating Technology: AI-powered officiating tools have been integrated across multiple sports to improve decision accuracy. The Hawk-Eye system uses synchronized multicamera setups and advanced image processing to calculate 3D trajectories of fast-moving objects in real time. FIFA introduced semi-automated offside technology at the 2022 World Cup, while the ATP Tour announced that by 2025 all out-of-bounds calls would be made by automated systems, replacing human line judges across professional tennis events worldwide.
Sciencedirect
WSC Sports
CNBC on Youtube
FIFA on Youtube
Performance Analytics: AI-driven performance analysis tools are reshaping athlete training and talent identification across sports. The app OOFSkate uses computer vision to analyze figure skaters' jump height, rotation speed, and landing quality from a tablet or phone, providing instant feedback without wearable sensors. In cricket, three counties — Glamorgan, Kent, and Lancashire — have used smart balls containing chips capturing ball data 200 times per second, enabling AI-assisted field simulations and batting analysis during net sessions.
Breitbart
Daily Mail
The New Indian Express
The Times (UK)
Football AI Use: Premier League clubs and European soccer organizations are deploying AI across scouting, injury prevention and in-game analysis. Liverpool partnered with Google DeepMind to develop an Automated Video Assistant Coach analyzing match footage, while Zone7 is used by Liverpool and Rangers to predict player injuries. Brighton and Brentford have used data algorithms to identify undervalued talent, and Manchester United partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University's Institute of Sport to gain a competitive analytical edge.
FOX News
Daily Mail
IBM
Google DeepMind
Sports Integrity: Artificial intelligence is increasingly implicated in sports betting disputes. The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) recorded 70 instances of suspicious wagering activity in Q1 2026. Soccer accounted for the largest share of alerts, with 25 cases (36%). Tennis followed with 16 alerts (24%), while table tennis ranked third with seven (10%). Generative AI can rapidly create convincing but false injury reports, lineup changes or insider claims that may influence betting markets before corrections appear.
Yahoo Sports
World Economic Forum
arXiv
iGB
MLB AI Ban: MLB issued a memo from the commissioner's office dated June 11, effectively banning teams from using generative AI on league-provided dugout iPads for in-game strategy. The memo stated that teams had installed custom apps that expanded iPad use beyond its intended purposes, including recommendations for substitutions and pitch-calling. The ban took effect during the second half of the season. According to The Athletic, as many as one-third of MLB teams had used the technology before the restriction was enforced.
WSC Sports
New York Post
The New York Times
Yahoo Sports

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-Industry

AI is rewriting the playbook of sports from locker rooms to boardrooms. There are already countless example demonstrating that AI will increase efficiency, protect players from injuries and ensure that games are more fair. Embracing AI is no longer optional — it is the definitive competitive advantage.

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Industry-Critical

AI in sports creates serious risks that demand scrutiny. VAR promised precision but delivered new disputes over judgment, process and fairness, proving that subjectivity shifts rather than disappears. AI-generated misinformation now fabricates quotes from NFL stars, manipulates betting markets and siphons ad revenue from legitimate media. Governance is lagging dangerously behind rapidly advancing capabilities.